


Coming Home

by BabyBoomBoom0029



Series: On Your Side: The Chronicles of Danny and Linda Reagan [15]
Category: Blue Bloods (TV)
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Kids get hurt but not Reagan's, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-05 00:12:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 35,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11001894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyBoomBoom0029/pseuds/BabyBoomBoom0029
Summary: "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection."-Sigmund FreudBack on the job after a near-death experience, Detective Danny Reagan wastes no time diving back into action. The first major case thrown his way is a killer targeting the most vulnerable people living in New York City. Will Detective Reagan be able to look past the horror of a serial killer who is going after children?  How far will this father go to protect his family?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Are we really surprised that I have this first chapter posted already? LOL. Hope you enjoy this as much as you've enjoyed the others! I'm so excited to share this story with all of you!!!!
> 
> Last story left on on Labor Day weekend. This one picks up right after Halloween that same year. So to keep everyone on the same timeline: Charlie is 18months, Faith and Sam are 4yrs, Grace is 6yrs, Sean is 20yrs, Jack & Kathleen are 23yrs & 22yrs.

Detective Danny Reagan stood in his bedroom one early morning in November. He was finally back to work a month ago and had never felt better. Danny didn't have to turn around to know Linda was wide awake watching his every move. He put on his vest under his shirt. A new habit that formed after nearly losing his life. Linda watched Danny holster his weapon, put on his shield and adjust his belt. Danny turned around walking to their bed, "You should still be asleep. It's not even five yet." He sat on the edge of the bed beside his wife.

"I woke up while you were in the shower." Linda said softly, "Thank you." 

Danny looked confused, "For what?" 

"The vest." She said. When Danny went back to work Linda practically begged him to wear his vest even if he thought he wouldn't need it. She couldn't lose him because a routine call to talk to someone turned into a shootout. Danny understood where she was coming from so he put the vest on under his shirt before getting dressed and had done so every day since.

"It's as much for me as it is for you" Danny kissed his wife, "Go back to sleep. The kids will be in here in just a couple hours. Get the sleep while you can." Danny lovingly tucked the blanket around his wife while she nodded her head. He had a point. Sam was the early riser. He'd sneak into their bed each morning if no one caught him and sent him back to his own bed.

"I love you." Linda kissed Danny's lips.

"I love you more." Danny grinned.

"I love you the most." Linda hugged Danny tight, "Come home to me."

"Always." Danny kissed her again before grabbing his jacket and leaving for work.

* * *

When Linda woke up again Sam was in bed beside her sound asleep. Linda kissed her baby boy on the head before getting up for the day. Linda checked on Grace and Faith who were still sleeping before returning to her room to find Sam sitting up in the middle of hers and Danny's bed.

"Did you come in here to snuggle with Mommy?" Linda asked.

Sam nodded his head, "Daddy work." 

"Yes, he did." Linda sat beside Sam, "Want to help Mommy make breakfast while your sisters sleep?" 

"I cooker!" Sam tried to stand up in his excitement but his foot got tangled in the blanket causing him to flop onto the bed.

Linda helped her son untangle himself, "C'mon. Let's find your slippers and we can go downstairs." Linda put on her robe before walking downstairs with Sam still dressed in his Ninja Turtle pajamas.

The two cut up some strawberries together and decided on oatmeal for breakfast. Linda sent Sam upstairs to wake his sisters so they could get up in time for school. Grace came downstairs in a grouchy mood. She had been up and down all night long. Linda knew she was overtired. It was days like these she was grateful for school uniforms. There wouldn't be a fight about what she was going to wear. Grace had no choice but to put on her plaid jumper with a light blue dress shirt. She was getting better at putting on her own criss-cross tie but still needed help with her tights. For the preschool, the kids were allowed to wear whatever they wanted within a strict dress code. Sam went off to school in a pair of dark blue pants and a blue and grey sweater with a rocket ship on the front of it while Faith went to school in a green and pink plaid skirt with a white shirt that had a matching pink flower on the front and a green cardigan with white tights. Linda was getting the kids coats on when Sean pulled into the driveway.

"Morning!" Sean took Charlie out of his car seat and hoisted the diaper bag over his shoulder, "We overslept a bit so he's still in pajamas but he's eaten breakfast." Sean said quickly. If he didn't hurry he'd be late to class.

"Okay. Go to school before you're late. I'll take care of getting him cleaned up and changed." Linda took the baby from her son's arms.

"Thanks, Mom." Sean kissed Charlie's cheek, "Love you." Sean hugged his son tight before rushing off to NYU so he wouldn't miss his first class.

"Drive safe!" Linda yelled as he pulled out of the driveway a little too quickly for her liking.

Once Grace, Faith, and Sam were in school Linda had the house to herself with Charlie. It was weird at first to go from a house full of kids to just one but Linda had grown to enjoy their time together while the twins were in preschool. It gave her time to relax and run errands. And time to take Charlie to story time at the library as well as other activities to get out of the house. Today story time was Rainbow Fish where the kids could make a tissue paper Rainbow Fish of their own that they could take home. Linda made sure she snapped a few pictures of Charlie trying his best to figure out the craft and stick tissue paper onto the cutout fish shape.

After story time Linda took Charlie home for lunch. As he laid down for his afternoon nap Faith and Sam would be getting off the bus from half-day preschool. It worked out well that the bus company was so accommodating and picked up and dropped off the twins in their driveway. The stop was supposed to be at the corner but the only kids attending the school were the commissioners grandchildren. Linda was sure their last name had a lot to do with it. Nevertheless, she was happy Charlie could nap safe and sound while she stood outside to make sure Faith and Sam got on and off the bus okay. Grace's bus stop was at the corner with the kids in the neighborhood. When it came time for her to get off the bus Linda and the kids would take the short walk down the block to pick her up and walk back.

The day passed like any other for Linda and the kids. Danny texted and said he'd be home late so Linda made him a plate, leaving it in the fridge for him. Sean stayed for dinner before taking Charlie home telling his mom all about how his day went from bad to worse. He hoped tomorrow would be a better one. Frank watched the kids for Linda while she cleaned the kitchen and did the dishes from dinner. When it came time for bed Danny wasn't available for the kids to speak to him so they left him a voicemail to say goodnight.

Linda climbed in bed alone after setting everything out for the following day for each kid. She looked at her phone one last time, not knowing that when Danny came home tonight he'd have seen one of the most horrific scenes any cop could stumble upon. It would shake the detective to the core.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Danny Reagan was just about to leave his desk early to get home in time for dinner when he and Beaz got called out to a domestic disturbance. Neighbors heard loud screaming and banging around with kids crying in the background. The guy the house belonged to was on parole for a drug charge. Danny and Linda were called in to check things out when one neighbor reported this was the third nine-one-one call she'd made that week with the same complaint and each time the cops would come out and leave without doing anything about the problem.

"What's with the grunt work we got tonight?" Danny grumbled.

"I think the department is trying to ease you back into work. I'm not sure if it's the fear of the Commisioner or Linda that's making them treat you with kid gloves." Beaz laughed as they pulled up to the curb in front of the house.

"Knowing my wife, she and my father sent out a memo to every cop on the force to keep me in bubble wrap for another six months." Danny joked.

"She's already got you wearing that vest day in and day out. I never thought I'd see the day, Danny Reagan willingly puts on a vest for a non-hostile call." Beaz teased him.

"If that's what it takes for her not to worry as much I can handle the extra weight." Danny stepped out of the car. The two carefully walked up the walkway of the house noticing the yard full of kids toys in very used condition. Toddler bikes, a sandbox, small plastic slide, plastic ride-on toys for toddlers, baby dolls, and dump trucks were all over the fenced in yard. They saw a baby swing as they stepped onto the porch.

Danny knocked, "Police!" He was surprised when a young girl answered the door. Her long blonde hair was in two messy ponytails. Her face was dirty as was the dress she was wearing. Danny crouched down as Beaz carefully tried to peek into the house, "Hi sweetheart. My name is Danny. I'm a police officer." Danny showed the little girl his badge, "Is your Mommy or Daddy home?" Danny asked.

The girl shook her head, "Daddy is at work. I don't have a Mommy." She said softly.

"Is there a grown up here with you?" Danny gently asked.

"Uncle Drew is upstairs with Trinity. She had a stinky diaper." The little girl nodded her head.

"What's your name?" Danny looked up at Beaz wondering what was going on inside the house. They hadn't heard any noise as they walked up.

"Penny." She smiled, "I'm six now!" She held up six fingers, "I just had a birthday!"

"Wow. What a big girl you are." Danny smiled at her.

"Do you want to come play with my dollies?" She asked innocently.

"Not right now." Danny said smiling at how sweet she was.

"PENNY! GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!" A man's voice yelled.

Penny jumped back towards Danny in fear, "Sorry Uncle Drew." She pouted.

"It's alright Sir. My name is Detective Beaz and this is my partner, Detective Reagan. We'd like to ask you a few questions." Beaz flashed her badge.

"Penny! You can't open the door for strangers!" The man grabbed her arm as he yelled.

"But Uncle Drew. They are _policemen_." Penny tried to explain.

"Why don't you let her go and calm down before there's a secondary problem here." Danny said watching the man grip the little girl too tightly.

The man sighed heavily but let her go, "Go play." He told Penny. Penny nodded her head and ran off to the other room, "What can I do for you Detectives?"

"Let's start with your name and what you're doing here." Danny said.

"Drew Wilson. And you heard her. I'm their uncle. I'm babysitting." Drew said clearly annoyed with the presence of cops on the front step.

"Yeah? We've gotten some noise complaints about yelling, kids crying, screaming. Know anything about that?" Danny asked.

"There are kids here. They have tantrums and cry and yell and scream." Drew rolled his eyes.

"Mind if we take a look around?" Beaz asked.

"I do actually. You have no right to come inside. Unless you're arresting me or have a warrant." Drew blocked the door with one arm, "If you think there is a problem here, come back with a warrant. Until then I suggest you get off the porch before my brother gets home."

"Your brother?" Danny questioned.

"Yeah. The kid's father." Drew said.

"Look, I've got kids. I know how loud they can be at times. We just want to make sure everything is okay." Danny tried again to enter the house.

"Great. Then you know that you protect your children no matter what. I might be just the uncle but I'm going to protect these kids. So you can come back with a warrant and look around but until then, go away." Drew shut the door on Danny and Beaz.

"Well, that was interesting." Beaz sighed.

"Yeah. I mean, kids  _are_ loud and nothing struck out at me except how he grabbed that girl but that's not enough to get into the house." Danny frowned, "Why don't we do a bit of checking on our friend here and see what we can dig up."

"Sounds like a long night." Beaz sat in the car.

"I'll buy the Chinese this time." Danny grinned as they drove back to the 54th precinct.

* * *

As the night grew darker Danny and Beaz had yet to find a lead at all. Except for the fact that Drew Wilson wasn't always Drew Wilson. He was also David West, Daniel Wilcox, Drake Williams, Dylan Wenz, Doug Wylee, Duncan Walters and Dennis Wattson. But it still didn't give them a reason to get inside the house. Something about it didn't feel right to either detective. Danny felt bad when he missed the kids calling to say goodnight but he was on the phone with the New Mexico state police when they got a hit on one of Drew Wilson's alias'. Dylan Wenz had been arrested in New Mexico for driving while intoxicated. He was let off the hook with a hefty fine.

At close to ten-thirty Danny and Beaz were ready to throw in the towel for the night and come back to it in the morning when Danny's hardline rang.

"Reagan." Danny said, "What? When?" He asked the person on the other line, "Alright. Yeah. Beaz and I will be right there." Danny hung the phone up. 

"What's up?" Beaz stood and put her jacket on.

"Another nine-one-one call, but this once came from inside the house. That little girl we saw today, Penny, she's on with dispatch they're going to put her through in the car." Danny and Beaz rushed out to the sedan. Danny flipped the lights and sirens on as they made their way back to Penny's house. 

"Danny?" The little girl's voice came through the radio.

"Hey, Sweetheart. What's going on? Are you hurt?" Danny asked calmly.

"Uncle Drew is mad at me. Daddy too. They hurt me." The little girl cried.

"Where are you, Penny?" Danny asked her.

"I'm in the bathroom. Trinity is here too. And Evan and Mark and Stacy. We're all scared." Penny cried.

Danny heard yelling in the background, "I did what you asked! Please! Don't hurt the children! Please!" The loud bang when the gunshot went off made all the children scream.

"Penny. Shhh. Baby. You gotta try to be quiet. I know it's scary but my friends and I are almost there." Danny pushed the gas to the floor as he sped to Penny's house praying he'd get there soon.

"He's coming!" Penny cried out. Danny and Beaz heard the door slam open.

"It's time for bed." Danny recognized the voice as Uncle Drew, "Pray." He told the children.

"What happened to Daddy?" Penny asked. A loud slap was heard, "OW!" Penny sobbed in pain when her Uncle Drew slapped her across the face.

"I said say your bedtime prayer." Drew's voice was much darker and harsher than Danny and Beaz heard at the door.

"Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep." The children mumbled their way through with tears and in fear, "If I should die before I wake. I pray the Lord, my soul, to take." The kids cried as they finished the prayer Uncle Drew wanted them to recite.

Danny felt his heart drop when five loud gunshots blasted through the radio. The children screamed and cried. After the fifth shot, there was silence. Danny heard footsteps walking away. They were less than thirty seconds away. Danny and Beaz were met by more officers who pulled up behind them. Together they stormed into the house. Danny saw a man lying on the stairs with a gunshot to the back of his head. They made their way upstairs and towards the bathroom. A young officer who was ahead of Danny and Beaz opened the door and promptly ran out of the house. In the tiny, dirty bathroom, inside the tub were all five bodies of the children. The phone still in Penny's hand.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Despite their best efforts Drew Wilson had escaped before the NYPD could spot him. They searched the entire house, the neighborhood, there was even a team with dogs searching the wooded area behind the house. But no luck. Danny watched officers around him scour the area, as he silently vowed to hunt the son of a bitch that killed five innocent children down. The children ranged in age from three months to six years old. Penny was the oldest. Danny didn't know what kind of monster could shoot a child much less a three-month-old baby. It wasn't as if any of the children could ID him. They were children. Sweet, little, innocent children. Danny watched somberly as they were each taken to the morgue. He wished he pressed harder, forced his way into the house, done something, anything differently to get inside that house earlier that day. Maybe he could have prevented this. It sent chills up his spine to recall his own children saying the exact same bedtime prayer before bed. Detective Reagan scoured the house with Detective Beaz and a CSU team for anything to trace back to Drew Wilson and what he was doing here. If he was really related to the homeowner.

"Danny, I think we got something." Beaz said, "The guy that lived here with the kids, doesn't own the house. He's not even on the lease. The guy that popped in our system is Santiago González. The guy they just sent to the morgue is Markus Karlen. Clean record, no problems. His wife died a few months ago when the baby was born. Some complication from their home birth. She bled out before getting to the ER. Santiago González has been letting his buddy Markus stay here with the kids rent free when he heard his wife passed. They grew up and ran in the same crew for a while. Santiago stayed but Markus left when he met his wife." Beaz read off the notes she got from TARU and through some digging around.

"Where is Santiago González now?" Danny asked.

"No one can find him. His parole officer has been notified but no one seems to have a location on the guy. The parole officer said he showed for their meeting earlier today and things seemed fine. He was trying to do better." Beaz said.

"Yeah. Better looks like he could have gotten his friend and his children killed." Danny assumed the murder was meant for a criminal on parole, not a widowed single father of five, "We got a hit on prints or anything that will help us see what sick bastard murders five kids?" Danny asked out loud, "No?! We're just going to sit around here with our thumbs up our asses?!" His anger getting the best of him.

"Danny. No one's sitting around." Beaz shook her head.

"Sure looks like it." Danny scoffed. They walked into one of the girl's bedrooms. There was only one mattress that sat on the floor with blankets thrown on top. The few toys in the room were dirty and broken. Hand-made drawing adorned the walls instead of store-bought decals. A single dingy white curtain hung haphazardly in front of the only window. On top of the dresser was a box of diapers with open packs of baby wipes. A towel was put down as a makeshift changing pad. The crib looked like it was ready to fall apart if it got knocked the wrong way. Danny frowned. It looked like a father trying his best but not being able to handle kids and a job on his own. The children were obviously being neglected but it didn't look like the father was doing it on purpose. It looked like he just needed help. Danny almost tripped over a white and gray blanket with yellow ducks on it. He gasped as his mind flashed to Grace. She had a blanket very similar if not the same exact one. Danny walked out of the room, "We got anything yet?!" He shouted at the CSU team.

"We're looking Sir." One of the cops said to Danny.

"Look harder!" Danny barked at him.

"Reagan!" Beaz reprimanded him, "What's with the yelling?" She asked.

"These were kids. We should be able to catch the bastard." Danny fumed. He shook his head, "She was six years old. Only six. Those kids were all so little. A three-month-old baby doesn't deserve this. No child does." Danny said, "They were the same ages as my kids. As my grandkid." Danny sighed.

"Take a few hours. Go home. See your kids. Catch some sleep. We're not going to get anywhere tonight. CSU is on it. We'll start fresh in the morning." Beaz put her hand on his shoulder, "Go home."

"I can't do that." Danny shook his head, "What if we get a lead in the middle of the night. We can't let him get away with this."

"I'll call you if we get something. But you need to go home. Before you start yelling at rookies again." Beaz gently shoved Danny out of the house.

"You'll call me." Danny said to her.

"The second we have something." Beaz nodded her head. She watched as Danny reluctendly got into the sedan and pulled away from the curb to drive home. She knwe he wasn't going to be any good until he saw his family safe and sound. If anyone could get Danny to focus on the case and know his family was safe while he was at work it would be Linda Reagan. Beaz just hoped Linda was able to quickly prepare herself for Danny's mood when he woke her up. She hoped Linda would be the strength Danny would need to make it through this case. There were two things that Danny Reagan didn't let slip. Cases involving small children and cases that hit close to his family. This case was both.


	4. Chapter 4

Linda was only half-awake when she heard Danny walk up the stairs in the middle of the night. Like a good partner, Beaz called Linda when Danny left to give her a heads up. She told Linda that they were working a tough case involving small kids and Danny was coming home to catch some sleep and check on his own kids.

Danny walked up the stairs with his head hung. He just couldn't believe someone could hurt such small children like that. Danny's first stop was Sam's bedroom. He frowned not seeing Sam in his bed. He walked into the girl's bedroom next. Danny didn't see either Faith or Grace in bed. He checked their play tent that was in the middle of the room. Sometimes they'd want to 'camp'. It wasn't totally abnormal for them to be asleep inside the tent. But neither girl was there either. Danny's eye caught sight of the blanket he saw at the crime scene. He frowned. Danny needed to see his kids. Danny walked into his bedroom. A small smile formed on his face. In the middle of the bed was Linda half-asleep on her back with all three kids around her. Sam was cuddled under Linda's arm, halfway on top of her chest while Faith was on the other side of Linda, lying sideways with her legs on top of her mother's waist. Grace's head was resting on Linda's belly while she curled against her side. Danny stood in the doorway watching over his family. He wondered what made the kids climb into bed with Linda. Danny carefully lifted Grace first and carried her into her room.

"Daddy?" Grace rolled over as he placed her in bed. 

Danny covered her with a blanket, "Shh. Go back to sleep Ladybug." Danny kissed her cheek, "I love you."

"Love you." Grace yawned. She pulled her stuffed bear close as she fell back asleep.

Danny returned to his bedroom to bring Faith to her bed. Faith woke up the second Danny lifted her, "Sun up?" She asked.

"No. The sun is still nite-nite. It's time for you to go back to sleep." Danny tucked her in.

"Daddy sing?" Faith asked.

"Okay. But we have to be really quiet so we don't wake up Grace." Danny smiled.

Faith grinned, "Okay Daddy."

"You are my Sunshine, my only Sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take, my Sunshine away." Danny and Faith sang softly.

"I Daddy's Sunshine." Faith smiled.

"Yes, you are." Danny kissed her cheek, "I love you." He fixed the blanket she'd shifted when she sat up to sing, "Close your eyes and go to sleep." Danny stayed for a few minutes rubbing Faith's back to get her to fall back asleep.

He walked into his bedroom to get Sam, "C'mon Sammie." He said softly. Sam whined being taken from his mother's arms but didn't wake up until Danny put him down in bed.

"Mommy." Sam frowned.

"Mommy's sleeping. It's okay. Daddy's here." Danny kissed his cheek, "Close your eyes. Daddy will stay until you fall back asleep. I love you." Danny patted Sam's back gently until he started to snore softly. Danny tucked Sam's Chase the police dog into Sam's bed under the blanket just how Sam liked it before closing the door behind him.

Danny carefully walked through the house checking all the doors and windows to make sure it was secure. Once he was sure his family was safe he walked into his bedroom. While Danny was sweeping the house Linda woke up to no children in bed. She sat up in bed knowing Danny had to be home.

"Hey, you." Linda said softly when Danny appeared at the door.

Danny quietly shut the door behind him, "I didn't mean to wake you." He apologized.

"It's okay. The weight shift woke me." Linda smiled. She put her hand out, "Come here." She said softly.

"Oh God Linda." Danny put his hands over his face rubbing his eyes. He sighed heavily.

"Come here, Baby." She said to him.

Danny nodded his head. He walked over to take LInda's hand and climb onto the bed beside her. Linda slid her arms around Danny's neck pulling him to her. She softly kissed his lips, "I missed you." She confessed.

"I love you." Danny whispered. He put his arms around her waist holding her close. Danny needed to feel his wife. To feel her warm body against his. To know she was okay. Seeing those kids, hearing them die, put so much guilt on his shoulders he needed a way to lift the weight off him. Danny kissed his way down Linda's neck and back up again. He pulled his wife into his lap, "I love you so much." Danny felt the stress and guilt slowly disappear with every touch of his wife's body.

Linda slowly unbuttoned her husband's shirt carefully peeling it off. She smiled seeing the vest underneath, "You know, it's amazing how sexy I find kevlar and velcro." Linda tipped her head back as Danny nipped at her neck.

"God Linda." Danny sighed. He carefully laid her back onto the bed to take off his belt. Danny placed his gun on the nightstand along with his phone and shield. His vest followed his shirt to the floor along with his belt.

"Danny, I love you." Linda smiled as he slowly undressed both of them. Danny took his time as he made love to his wife. Needing to clear his mind before he snapped. The case took a backseat to his wife's body beneath him. The connection with Linda letting his mind take a break from the stress of the case.

Later that night Linda and Danny lay in each other's arms. Linda's head on his chest while he ran his fingers up and down her bare arm.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked softly.

Danny sighed, "A really hard case tonight." Danny frowned, "We can't seem to find the guy and he hurt kids. Little kids. Babies. They said the same prayer our kids do before bed." Danny pulled Linda close, "One of them has...I thought of Grace the second I saw the same blanket the little girl had." Danny frowned, "I couldn't get it out of my head." 

"Oh, Danny." Linda said softly.

"I needed to see them." Danny whispered, "To make sure our babies were okay. To see them. To hug them. To kiss them goodnight." Danny kissed the top of his wife's head, "Oh Linda, I needed you. I love you."

"I love you." Linda looked up at Danny, "Our kids are safe. I'm safe. And when you go back to work and put that vest on I know you're safe too." Linda said softly.

"I have to find this guy Linda. I can't let him get away with this." Danny shook his head.

"I know. And I have faith in you that you'll find him." Linda kissed Danny's lips, "You're the best detective the NYPD has." Linda grinned.

"Now you're just flirting with me." Danny teased.

"Yeah well, I kind-of like you." Linda smiled up at him.

"It's a good thing I kind-of like you too then." Danny kissed his wife.

The two stayed curled into each other's arms until a phone call from Beaz would cause Danny to try and slip out of bed unnoticed. Linda would wake up the second Danny's warm arms moved but she'd quickly fall back asleep to the sweet sound of velcro as Danny got dressed to meet Beaz at the 54th precinct.


	5. Chapter 5

"Beaz. What do we got?" Danny walked over to his desk.

"We have Santiago González." She pointed to the interrogation room, "He walked in here on his own about twenty minutes ago. Says he wants to help in any way he can to catch the guy that killed Markus and his kids. Says, he might have some information for us." Beaz held up a ziplock baggie with a postcard in it. On the postcard was a picture of Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz, "Also this was found tucked in Markus' back pocket. No prints. Not even his."

Danny looked at the baggie, "Wonder what it means." He sighed, "Let's go see what he can help us with." Danny said not believing that Santiago could be there to actually help and not try to save himself for some reason.

Danny and Beaz walked into the interrogation room, "Santiago González. I'm Detective Beaz, this is my partner, Detective Reagan. You said you have some information for us?" Beaz and Danny each took a seat across from Santiago.

"You gon'a talk my parole officer? Aight?" Santiago looked at the two of them, "I gots goo' info but I needa make sure Mr. Howard hears I bein' good. I doin' what I say I do."

"Your info pans out into an arrest and we'll see what we can tell Mr. Howard." Danny nodded his head.

"Aight. So, Markus be havin' a hard time, paying bills an' shit." Santiago stopped and paused, "Sorry. Lady in da room." He gestured to Beaz, "Ain't tryin' to be not polite. My bad. He havin' trouble payin' bills an' stuff. So, I hear from a guy on da street, Markus _back_ in da game. He pushing crystal fo' some guy but los' da goods when dey jump his as-but-bott-when dey jump him in da street. So, he go to 'Mreld City an' say he need cash ta buy crystal back fo' he get turnt out. He don' pay cash o' crystal back. Guy foun' out. Must 'ave sent his boy a'ter Markus."

"This guy got a name?" Danny asked.

"Markus jus' call 'em Cap'in Black. I ain't know where he at." Santiago shrugged his shoulders.

"What about this Emerald City?" Beaz asked, "Where's that?"

"Dey move it aroun'. Gotta fin' Oz. Fourteefh street projects. You know Oz when you see 'em. Old, bal', white guy. Glasses. He ol' school." Santiago said, "Dat's all I got. I ain't no rat but kids be off limit. You don' mess wif kids an' you don' touch no woman but yours. Dis guy sick." Santiago looked at Danny, "You talk to Mr. Howard? Tell 'em I 'elp?"

"We'll see how this lead pans out." Danny said, "Let's go." He said to Beaz. The two left the interrogation room off on the hunt for 'Oz".

* * *

After hours of patrolling the area, Santiago sent them two led to nothing. There was no trace of anyone who fit the description they were given. Beaz and Danny watched everyone that went in and out of the building until dawn when they finally hit the streets to ask people about the man they were looking for.

Running into a dead end over and over again sent the two detectives back to the precinct by lunchtime without anything to point them in the direction of Drew, who was Oz, or this mysterious Captian Black. Danny hoped there was something they missed at the crime scene. He scanned through the file as Beaz stepped away to grab another cup of coffee.

Danny was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't notice Linda walking through the precinct until she was nearing his desk, "What are you doing here?" Danny stood to let her sit in his chair, "Everything okay?"

Linda nodded her head and smiled, "Just wanted to make sure both of you ate something today." She held up a homemade lunch. Enough for him and Beaz to split, "I'd stay longer but the kids will be home soon. I just wanted to hug you and feed you." Linda grinned. When she'd talked to Danny that morning he'd sounded so stressed and frustrated she decided to surprise him with a hot meal that wasn't out of a food cart and hoped that seeing her would help him relax a bit. Danny hugged his wife tightly.

"Thank you." He smiled.

"You're welcome." Linda replied, "I love you." 

"Love you more." He sighed content to hold his wife in his arms.

"Love you the most." Linda kissed his lip, "I have to go before I'm late to get the kids off the bus." She said.

"Hey, Reagan. Who do you think you are? Tin Man, Lion, or Scarecrow?" Beaz sat down not noticing Linda right away.

"In the Wizard of Oz?" Linda asked.

"Hey!" Beaz smiled, "Yeah. Who do you think Danny is?"

"Well, he has the heart, and brain and the courage." Linda thought for a moment, "He's more like one of the flying monkeys."

Beaz laughed, "Wouldn't that make you the Wicked Witch."

"All she wanted was a pair of shoes and she got a house dropped on her." Linda laughed, "Besides. Anyone ticks me off or annoys me, all I have to do is tell Danny and he takes care of it. See, flying monkey."

"I can see it now." Beaz teased her partner, "Yup. I agree. Flying monkey."

"Thank you, both of you." Danny smiled.

"I'd tease you more but I really do have to get going." Linda kissed Danny again, "There's food for both of you." She said to Beaz and pointed to the bag she'd brought, "Love you. Come home to me." She kissed her husband.

"Love you." Danny watched his wife as she left the building grateful for the small bright spot of his day. He sat down at his desk, "Hungry?" He asked Beaz.

"For Linda's home cooking. Always." Beaz pulled one of the containers out along with flatware when her computer dinged, "Oh no. Officers out of the Twelfth just responded to shots fired outside an apartment complex. When they walked in they found the babysitter and three kids shot in the living room. No sign of forced entry and no one around to arrest or witness anything."

"When?" Danny sighed. It couldn't be a coincidence. It had to be the same perp.

"Just now." Beaz sighed, "The first officer on scene was...." She clicked through the report a few times, "Officer Jamie Reagan and Officer Penelope Brewster."

"Good. I'll call him while we drive out there." Danny said putting his jacket on. Lunch would have to wait. This was the second child murder in less than twenty-four hours. Danny hoped they'd find the guy responsible before he targeted another family. Danny wasn't sure he could handle another group of innocent children dying from some murderer on a rampage with a grudge against children.


	6. Chapter 6

When Danny and Beaz pulled up Jamie was standing outside talking to fellow officers. The scene had been secured yet there was no sign of the murderer. Danny walked up to his brother, "We got anything?" Danny asked him.

"Nothing." Jamie shook his head, "Babysitter and three kids. Oh and this." Jamie held up a Wizard of Oz postcard that was tucked in the pocket of the babysitter.

"This is the second murder and second postcard." Danny frowned, "What kind of game is this guy trying to play?"

"Detectives! You should see this!" An officer called from inside the apartment.

Danny and Beaz followed Jamie inside, "What is it? Danny asked the officer.

"We don't know yet." He pointed to the laptop a TARU officer was looking at. The officer tilted the screen and played a video. It showed two videos side by side. One of police entering the home of Markus Karlen. It showed Danny, Beaz, the CSU team, and every officer that walked in and out of the house. The other side of the screen showed the officers at the moment. It showed Jamie and Penelope entering the apartment, then every other officer, including the detectives going in and out of the house.

"Where are those cameras? Who has access to this video?" Danny asked.

"We're searching for cameras now and the video is being uploaded to an offline site. I'm trying to trace it." The officer told Danny. The video suddenly went black. White letters typed across the screen.

' _DETECTIVE DANIEL REGAN. DETECTIVE MARIA BEAZ. AT BOTH CRIME SCENES. YOU LIKE MY WORK? YOU'VE BEEN AT BOTH PLACES. WANT TO SEE ME IN ACTION?"_ The video went black again then showed a gun. The video showed a man with a mask over his head stepping out of a closet. He walked through a child's bedroom and into the bathroom where a woman was seen showering.

"Is this happening now?" Danny asked, "Find where this is."

"I'm working on it. He's blocking all access." The officer said, "He's being spotted all over the country according to his signal."

The man sneaked up behind the woman. He pulled the curtain back scaring the woman. At first she didn't turn around, "Got the kids entertained with a movie?" She said in a flirty voice. The woman slowly turned around and screamed as the man pointed the gun at her, "No! Please! No!" She screamed, "My husband will pay! Please!" He shot the woman instantly.

"SHIT!" Danny yelled, "Where is this bastard?!"

"I'm trying to figure that out." The officer told him. The man on the video walked into the living room where four small children were watching a movie.

He held his gun up to them, "Say hello to my friends watching through the camera." The littlest boy looked up with tears in his eyes. 

"Mommy! Mommy!" The little boy cried.

"This is for you Detective's" The man laughed. He shot the children one by one in the head leaving the little boy for last, "Tell my friends your name." He said to the little boy.

"J-J-Jacob." The little boy sobbed, "I want Mommy! Mooooommmmmyyy!!"

The man laughed again, "Goodnight Jacob." He shot the boy in the head.

The screen went black once again, ' _IF I DON'T GET WHAT I WANT, EVERY SIX HOURS ANOTHER FAMILY WILL DIE. THEY BETTER PAY UP. IF YOU DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE TO COMPLETE MY LIST, I WILL ADD YOURS TO IT. HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE SHOW DETECTIVES_.'

The screen faded black once again before the laptop shut itself down, "What just happened?" Danny asked.

"It self-destructed. It practically ate itself." The officer frowned, "I'll figure it out. We'll figure out how he was able to move his signal around like that." 

"In the meantime, someone find those kids. Find that family. Find the husband." Danny shook his head, "Someone just lost their family. That was someone's wife and kids." 

The way Danny said wife and kids made Jamie's head snap up, "Danny?" 

"We need to find this son of a bitch. He can't go after more kids. More families. This is sick." Danny shook his head, "I can't let him get away with this. Get me a location on him." He demanded.

"It's going to be a little longer." The officer said.

"That's not good enough! We just saw him murder five people in cold blood!" Danny's temper flaring.

"Danny! He's doing the best he can." Jamie said to his brother.

"A family was just murdered. I think they deserve more than, a little longer." Danny said angrily.

"Your temper doesn't make things move faster." Jamie said to Danny.

"That was a wife and her children!" Danny yelled.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Jamie yelled back. He watched Danny pace in a circle, "Just call her. I'm sure she's fine. I'm sure the kids are fine. But if it will make you feel better, call her." Jamie said. He didn't need to say Linda's name for both of them to know who he was talking about.

Danny shook his head, "I can't. She's worried enough."

Jamie pulled out his phone and texted Linda without Danny knowing, "Anything from the first scene that will help with this?" Jamie asked trying to get his brother to think straight.

"Yeah. We need to go to Emerald City. That's the only lead we have." Danny looked down at his phone as it buzzed. Linda, Jack, and Sean all texted within seconds of each other. All three sent their current location and who was with them.

**'Twins & Grace w/ me. We're home & all okay. Love you.'-Linda**

**'Jack & Kathleen, checking in. At the apartment. We're fine.'-Jack**

**'Staten Isl. w/ Charlie. No work tonight. Staying home. We're good.'-Sean**

Danny breathed a sigh of relief, "Sent out a Reagan family text?" He asked his brother.

"Thought you needed the peace of mind." Jamie said honestly.

"I found someone to help us find Oz." Beaz said, "Got a tip that he's close to here."

"You up for some detective work?" Danny asked his little brother.

"Let's go." Jamie and his partner followed Danny and Beaz out of the apartment, on the hunt for the man called Oz.

 


	7. Chapter 7

When Danny, Beaz, Jamie and Penelope got out of the car, Danny and Beaz immediately saw the man who called himself Oz. He was exactly how Santiago described him. Bald, white man with glasses. Probably old enough to know the late former Commissioner Henry Reagan. As Danny and Beaz approached, Jamie and his partner went around back to check things out and to keep watch.

"Excuse me!" Danny said to the man. He watched his surroundings as the man stood up, as did everyone around him. The five bodyguards stood up surrounding Oz, "Detectives Reagan and Beaz. We need to talk to you." Danny said refusing to be intimidated.

"Followed the yellow brick road?" Oz smirked, "Good for you Detectives. How can I help you?"

"You know Markus Karlen?" Beaz asked.

"Shame. I hear him and his children were murdered." Oz said calmly. He looked between the detectives, "It's so hard when young lives get taken so quickly."

"You have anything to do with that?" Danny asked.

"Of course not. I could never harm a child." Oz grinned, "Do you have children Detective?" He asked looking at Danny. Oz already did his research, he knew the entire Reagan family. He was taunting Danny. Wanting to throw him off somehow.

"We heard Markus owed you some money." Danny neglected to answer the man's question.

"Yes. But it's all legal. You can take a look at the books for yourself. With a warrant of course." Oz shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know who would kill him over a legal loan."

"What about this guy who is going around murdering kids and families?" Danny asked, "We heard about this place called Emerald City. You know anything about that?" Danny asked.

"Look around you, Detective. This is my city. This is my territory. Wherever I am, is paved with yellow bricks. What's in it for me if I help you catch this killer?" He asked.

"Not being charged with accessory to murder?" Beaz threatened.

"I don't think that charge would stick. But you're more than welcome to try it." Oz grinned. He held his hands out taunting the NYPD to arrest him. Danny looked at Beaz knowing they had no reason to bring Oz in.

"We'll be back with a warrant for those books." Danny said.

"And I'll be anxiously awaiting your return Detective." Oz smiled as Danny walked away, "Oh! And Detective Reagan! Please tell your wife we very much enjoy when she picks your daughter up from the bus stop wearing those boots with heels that seem to never stop on her long legs. The fantasies we've had about what she could be wearing underneath her coat. I promise. No harm will come to your children Detective, after all, I'm not a monster. Leave this killer to us. We are just as upset about it as you are. If you continue to interfere with my activities, I will be forced to teach you a hard lesson. I am called Oz for a reason. I am the almighty and powerful. Do not mess with me."

"You threatening the wife of an NYPD detective?" Danny turned around and walked straight for Oz, "Is that what you just did?" The second he heard the man mentioned Linda, Danny's temper started to blow, "You think you can get away with telling me how you're stalking my wife?!" Danny grabbed Oz by his jacket. His fists forming tight balls.

"Now now Detective. If you don't let me go my men will be forced to remove you." Oz said calmly as his bodyguards started to crowd around Danny.

"You leave my family alone. Or I swear to God you'll wish I only killed you." Danny threatened. He shoved Oz backward, "Let's go."

Danny and Beaz met up with Jamie and Penelope around back. Danny texted his father to send police to the house to check on Linda and the kids, to keep them safe, letting him know they were being watched.

What Danny didn't know was that before Frank could dispatch a unit, it would already be too late. Oz's plan was in action. He knew more than he let on. He was true when he said he would never harm a child. What he neglected to tell Danny was that his partner who went by the street name, 'Captain Black', didn't have the same moral code as Oz did. Oz let children go while Captain Black saw anyone associated with a target as tainted. Disposable. Someone he needed to kill.

* * *

 

Linda Reagan didn't think much was unusual about the day. She knew Danny was having a hard time with the case but knowing it was a case involving children, Linda wasn't surprised. He'd been upset and quickly angered since he started working the case. She prayed he'd find the man responsible in time. No one needed any more dead children in the city. She knew Danny was taking it hard. He'd told her how he heard the man shoot the children in the bathtub. She couldn't imagine what he'd felt. Linda frowned as she looked at her phone. This was the third unknown call she'd gotten in the last ten minutes. The kids played in the living room while she ignored the call again. Three more times her phone rang. Finding it odd Linda tried to call Frank. She assumed Danny was busy, especially after getting Jamie's text earlier. She didn't want to bother him for what could be a prank call or nothing at all. Still, she felt uneasy home alone with the kids. Even if the sun was still up. Linda sighed. The called failed. It was almost as if she had no signal. Linda sat on the couch while the children played on the floor. Her phone ringing again and again from an unknown number. When the phone calls didn't stop for almost fifteen minutes, Linda knew there was a problem. Without a way to call out for help she was on her own. She couldn't get her phone to call anyone or even send any texts. Even the internet was down when Linda tried to through her data plan. Two more phone calls made Linda get up from her seat. Linda checked all the locks on the doors and windows. When she stepped away from the front door she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket once again. The anonymous text she'd received almost made her drop her phone.

' **Did you lock me out? Or lock me in?'**

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Linda Reagan never was one to handle a gun. The brief period she owned one she'd handed it over to Danny saying she just couldn't do it. She couldn't carry around a weapon like him or Frank or Jamie or even Erin could. Linda jumped when her phone rang with an anonymous call again. Linda answered the call, "Hello?" She tried to remain calm. Her hand left the front door unsure of whether she should keep it locked or not.

"If you do what I say, your children will survive. Why don't you walk back into the living room?" He said.

Linda ran back into the room where her children were playing. She gasped seeing Faith sitting on a man's lap. He was wearing an expensive suit. The shield on his belt may have fooled her children but Linda could spot it as a fake immediately.

"Hello, Linda. Nice to see you." The man smiled, "The children are so beautiful. Like angels sent from Heaven." His grin made LInda's stomach turn.

"Faith. Come see Mommy." Linda called her over. She saw the gun the man was holding with one hand next to his leg, "Faith. Come here." Linda demanded.

"Okay, Mommy." Faith jumped off the man's lap and walked over to her mother. Linda scooped her daughter into her arms trying to carefully inspect her for any sign of injury.

"Why don't the children run along to play while we catch up." The man suggested.

"Catch up?" Linda asked.

"Of course. I used to work with their Daddy. I haven't seen him in a long time." The man retold his lie he had told the children so they didn't yell for their mother when he walked into the room.

"Grace. Sam." Linda called them both over, "You three go upstairs. We're going to play Boogieman. Okay?" She whispered to the three of them. Grace looked up as seriously as she could, at such a young age, and nodded her head. She had been told over and over, that when they play Boogieman, it's because someone bad is near them and could come into the house. The rules of Boogieman were to lock Mommy and Daddy's bedroom door and hide under the bed. They weren't allowed out from under the bed until Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa, or Uncle Jamie found them. No matter what they heard or who else found them. They had to stay hidden under the bed. And if the Boogieman tried to catch them, they were allowed to yell, scream, kick, bite, pinch, punch, hit, slap, do whatever they needed to do, to run away from the Boogieman. At first, Linda didn't like scaring them with a Boogieman but if she'd learned anything being the wife of a Reagan, that small bit of fear, would probably save her children.

"Come on!" Grace yelled at her smaller siblings who didn't quite understand the 'game' they were playing. Once Linda heard the door slam shut upstairs she turned back to the man in her living room.

"If I was here to harm your children, I'd have done it already. I'm here to deliver a message." He stood, "Your husband is a pain in my ass. I'm trying to do my job. Hunting down people that owe someone very important a large sum of money. They know the contract. No payment results in death."

"And the children?" Linda asked trying her hardest to maintain a calm facade.

"Casualties." He said nonchalantly, "I have just completed my list." He said, "We can all let this go or I can take it personally that Detective Reagan is hunting me. And if I take it personally I will come after what he cares about most in this world." The man walked closer and closer to Linda until he backed her into a corner of the room, "His wife and children. And when I take things personally they aren't clean kills. They get messy." He put his hand around LInda's neck. She tried to push him off but he was too strong for her to move him an inch, "I'll make sure that when he finds you he trips a wire that will ultimately be the cause of your death. It might be a wire rigged to a shotgun or maybe I'll slice you up so when he tries to move you or untie you, all your guts spill out all over him. Hmmmm." He hummed with an evil smile, "I'll think of something creative. Or maybe he trips a wire that causes the whole house to explode with you and the children inside. Do you understand me."

Linda tried to talk but his hand around her neck prevented her from speaking clearly, "Y-y-ea-" 

The man's head snapped up when he heard sirens getting closer and closer to the house, "If you tell him I was here, I'll know and I'll kill you just because it's fun." In the blink of an eye, the man ran out the back of the house just as police were pulling up out front. 

Linda slid to the ground trying to remember how to breathe again. She thanked God that the police had shown up. Linda shook as the adrenaline coursed through her veins. The knock at the door making her jump out of her skin. She ran to the front door, "Yes?" She asked out of breath.

"Linda, Hi." Sid smiled, "The commissioner sent us over to check things out. Something to do with the case Danny is on." There were four officers behind Sid and a few that started canvassing the perimeter.

"We're fine. The kids are upstairs and we're fine." Linda lied. She was far from fine.

Warning alarms went off in Sid's head. He looked carefully at Linda seeing light bruising on her neck, "Can we come in?"

"S-sure." Linda bit her lip as she tried to cover the stutter.

"You feeling okay?" Sid asked.

"I'm fine." Linda replied.

"Good. I'm glad you're fine." Sid smiled, "Anyone here with you? Besides the kids?" 

"Nope. Just us." Linda fake grinned.

"You know when I was a beat cop like Jamie, we used to get a lot of calls to check on wives and things of that nature. Or domestic disputes. A lot of times women couldn't always speak freely. Or even nod their head. So when we'd ask if they were okay and they said they were but they really weren't. We had to come up with a way for them to be able to tell us what was going on without anyone knowing that's what they were doing. What we worked out was the whole blinking thing that you see in movies in hospitals with patients who can't talk. Once for yes, twice for no. It worked out really well." Sid rambled, "You sure you're alright?" He asked again.

Linda thought about his words and slowly blinked twice, "Sid I already told you. I'm fine. I just have to go check on the kids."

"Just you and the kids home right?" He smiled at her.

Linda blinked once, "But you never know who's watching." She said.

Sid pulled out his phone and sent a text to Frank requesting backup, a TARU team, and ESU. He wasn't sure what was going on but he knew there was a big problem. After quietly telling the officers what was going on Sid and another officer followed Linda upstairs just to be extra cautious. Linda got the key out of the safe in Frank's closet for her bedroom where Danny and Linda kept it for this exact scenario. Linda opened the door to silence. 

"Grace. Faith. Sam." Linda tried to hold back tears. She was so relieved things were relatively okay. That the man inside her house was just there to scare her and didn't have much of a chance to hurt her. Linda dropped to the floor and lifted the bed skirt that hid the children, "Come on out. It's okay. Mommy's here. The Boogieman is gone. You did such a good job!" Linda pulled her babies out from under the bed.

Grace sniffled as she hugged her Mommy tight, "I want Daddy." 

"Me too." Linda wrapped her arms around all three kids holding them close.

* * *

Danny walked up the steps where the crime scene unit had taped off the area. Another report of another murdered family. Four kids, and both parents. Danny had to catch this guy. In less than forty-eight hours four families had been slaughtered. Danny needed to find out what the operation Oz was running, who Captain Black was and if he was the killer or involved some other way, and what the Hell was going on in his city. Danny sighed seeing another of the same postcard they'd found at each crime scene. Danny shook his head when he saw the bodies of the children huddled together while photos were still being taken. The parents had been shot sitting at the kitchen table while the children must have been playing in the other room. The TV in the living room was paused as if they had been watching a movie.

"What's this?" Beaz asked walking over. She pressed play and immediately regretted it. The video showed a man in a mask shooting both parents, then going after the children, one by one. He held the oldest boy in his arms forcing his hand on the gun. Making the boy pull the trigger at his younger siblings. Danny's face lost all color when he saw what the killer did next. He pinned the boy onto the ground and bent his arm forcing the boy to hold the gun to his own head. He squeezed the trigger. The video faded to black.

"He's getting more dramatic as he kills." Danny said, "We need to find this guy. How does he leave no trace of anything? How come he's two steps ahead of us?" Danny sighed. The video started to play a second part that caught Danny's eye. It showed a picture of the whole Reagan family from an NYPD benefit where they had their picture in the paper. Danny's family was circled in red, "Oh my God." Danny pulled his phone out and called Linda. When the phone went to voicemail he barely gave any notice to his partner before making a beeline to the sedan. With the pedal to the floor Danny spun the car around in the direction of home praying the whole way there.


	9. Chapter 9

Pulling up to a swarm of cop cars in front of his house was never a good feeling. Danny jumped out of the car and ran up the steps inside his home. The first person he saw was DCPI Moore.

"Where is she? The kids?" He scanned the room for her.

"Your room. Frank too. Everyone is okay." Garrett told him, "We've swept the house top to bottom. No one is here. No sign of forced entry. We are looking for every fabric or hard we can find."

Danny nodded his head. He took the stairs two at a time to get to his bedroom. Upstairs officers stood guard in the hall next to Danny and Linda's bedroom. In the doorway stood his father watching over Linda and the kids, "Dad." Danny said.

"They're okay. Shaken up but okay." Frank said. He stepped aside to let Danny in the room.

"Linda" Danny breathed. All three kids were in pajamas under the covers in Linda and Danny's bed while Linda sat on top of the covers closest to the door.

"Daddy!" All three kids yelled when they saw him.

"Danny." Linda closed her eyes as the tears finally fell. She had been trying so hard to hold everything together for the kids she couldn't do it when she saw her husband.

Danny gathered his family into his arms, "Oh thank God." Danny sighed. He hugged them all tightly.

"I missed you, Daddy." Grace said softly.

"I missed you too Ladybug." Danny kissed the top of her head, "Daddy missed you all so much." Danny held his family for as long as his wiggly children would let him before they once again were distracted by the movie Linda had put on the TV for them. Danny noticed the bruises on Linda's neck, "He hurt you?" Danny half-asked, half-stated.

"I'm okay. I promise." Linda buried her head into the crook of his neck, "He just wanted to scare me."

"He put his hands on you. He touched you." Danny protectively wrapped his arms around his wife, "I'm so sorry he hurt you." Danny tilted his head to press kisses to every bruise on his wife's neck, "Someone looked at this right? You saw someone to make sure you're okay right?"

"EMTs and I'm a nurse. I know I'm okay. I promise. I just really need to calm down and that's really hard right now." She admitted.

"I'm here. You're safe. The kids are safe. Jack and Kathleen have two officers in the hall outside their apartment door. Sean is home with Charlie with officers on the street and walking the perimeter of the house there with the alarm on. Everyone is accounted for and safe." Danny said. He squeezed Linda tight as she regulated her breathing with the scent of her husband surrounding her, "Can you tell me what happened?" Danny asked.

"I kept getting these phone calls and it wouldn't stop. I figured you were busy from the last time we'd talked today. I tried to call Frank but my phone wouldn't call out or send a text. But it kept getting this unknown number popping up. I got scared and locked the house up, that's when I got a text." Linda showed Danny her phone, "Then he called. Told me to go into the living room. He was holding Faith. Told the kids he was a cop and he worked with you so they didn't think twice about it. He had a badge and dressed like Daddy not in a uniform like Uncle Jamie so they went with it. I told them to go upstairs and to play Boogieman. They did so well. Grace took Faith and Sam upstairs and locked the door. No one made a peep. I hate that they were so good at it." Linda shook her head, "He said he was done with his list and he wanted you to let it go. He was fulfilling a contract. The people he killed owed money to someone. He said that he would take it personally if you didn't leave it alone. That he'll come after the kids and me to make it personal for you if you make it personal for him. Told me how he thinks he'd kill me and then we heard sirens. He let me go and ran off. I tried to push him away but I couldn't. He's a lot bigger than me and was able to hold my against the wall with one hand. There was no way I could have moved him." Linda told Danny about the night's events.

"Oh, Linda. I'm sorry Baby. I'ms so sorry." Danny kissed his wife, "All that matters is you are all okay." 

"I love you." Linda said softly.

"I love you more." Danny replied. Danny held his wife close while their three youngest kids fell asleep to "Finding Dory". 

Danny looked up when his father lightly knocked, "They found something in the kitchen." Frank said.

"I'm coming." Linda took Danny's hand in hers.

"Okay." Danny agreed. He pulled an officer from the hall and pointed to his sleeping children, "They are my babies." He said to the officer.

"And I will guard them with my life, Detective." The officer replied knowing not to mess with Danny Reagan when he had such a dangerous tone in his voice.

Danny nodded his head and left the room with his arm around his wife. In the kitchen, they found a postcard they'd found at every other crime scene where they suspected Captain Black was killing.

"I'm going to find the bastard." Danny frowned as he looked at the postcard.

"Danny we got a tip. Santiago just called the precinct. Said he saw Captain Black down by the Hudson. Said that he was bragging about one of the murders." Beaz said, "We should head down there."

Danny looked at Linda not wanting to leave her but not having much of a choice. Linda seemed to sense his dilemma, "I'm okay." She kissed her husband sweetly, "The kids and I are fine. You go catch this guy and come home to me. Okay?"

"Okay. You go snuggle our babies." He said to her.

Linda nodded her head kissing her husband once again before watching him leave with Beaz to follow the tip. She hoped this would be the end of it. Linda had no idea this wasn't even close to ending yet. That the person Danny was going to find near the Hudson River would complete the puzzle of The killer, Drew, Captain Black, Oz, and Emerald City. But in order to get home again, it would take more than wishing he was there or the click of heels. Blood would be shed long before Danny Reagan could come home again.


	10. Chapter 10

Danny turned the headlights off on the sedan as they pulled up to the pier. He and Beaz got out with Jamie and Penelope behind them. Down by the water they saw Oz and Drew Wilson. Oz's bodyguards stood around armed and keeping watch.

"Everyone ready?" Danny asked.

"We're good." One of the ESU officers nodded, "Two teams. One from this side and one from over there. We'll pin them in the middle." He laid out the plan.

"Alright. Everyone keep your eyes open, stay sharp." Danny looked over at Jamie when he spoke, "We all get back home tonight. Let's go."

The group split into two with Jamie and Danny sticking together while Beaz and Penelope went around the long way. Danny led his team through the brush to sneak up on Oz and his crew. He watched as Drew stood and laughed about killing small children. He gloated about finishing the job quicker than he planned thanks to the rush of excitement the NYPD coming after him provided.

"We just need to make sure that cop doesn't come sniffing around." Drew grinned.

"He won't. I told him that his family would be next if he didn't leave me alone to do business." Oz said, "Here's your money." The two men exchanged a fat envelope filled with cash.

"Nice working with you again." The two shook hands. Danny and his team took the distraction between the two men as their opportunity to surround them.

"NYPD!"

"HANDS UP!"

"POLICE!"

Shouts came from every direction. Bullets started flying as soon as Oz and Drew realized they were being ambushed. Jamie and Danny took cover behind one of the cars that were parked nearby. Danny tried to shoot back at one of the bodyguards that were shooting at him and Jamie. Jamie stood on the other end of the car dodging bullets as they flew at him. Jamie was ducking back down to reload his weapon when out of the corner of his eye Danny saw his brother fall to the ground. Instantly Danny's worst fears surfaced.

"JAMIE!" Danny shot towards the man that shot his brother, hitting the man in the leg Danny ran to Jamie, "HEY! KID! WHERE YOU HIT?!" 

"VEST! VEST! I'M GOOD!" Jamie nodded his head. He would have a sore bruise but he needed Danny to know he was okay.

Danny covered Jamie as more bullets flew past, "WE'RE PINNED DOWN HERE! WE GOTTA MOVE!" Danny said. Their position wasn't the best. They couldn't get a clean shot off and when they tried to, they were overexposed.

"HE'S GETTING AWAY!" Someone shouted as Drew slipped through the hands of the NYPD

"LET'S GO!" Jamie nodded towards the direction Drew ran.

Danny nodded his head and followed his kid brother to catch the man that had scared Linda earlier that evening. Danny and Jamie ran through the brush carefully tracking the man. Danny never expected the blow to his head that would make everything go black. He had no time to react. No time to call for Jamie. No time to think before he was knocked unconscious.

"DANNY!" Jamie shot his gun towards Drew who was able to recoil behind a tree before the bullet could him. Jamie ran towards his brother knowing he was also running towards the man who was trying to kill them, "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" Jamie yelled at him.

"RUN ALONG! OR I'LL TAKE YOU TOO!" Drew yelled.

"YOU'RE NOT TAKING ANYONE!" Jamie held his gun up ready to shoot Drew the second he moved from behind the tree.

"OH REALLY?" Drew laughed. Jamie didn't see the bodyguard that had slipped away from Oz. He didn't see the butt of the gun slam down on the side of his head. He didn't have any idea what was going to happen until it was too late.

* * *

 

When Danny opened his eyes he was sure he'd never get the image he saw out of his head. In front of him was a large glass window. Jamie and Linda were both on opposite sides of the room with a divider between them. Harsh fluorescent lights flickered above their heads. Linda was tied to a pillar with her arms above her head and her legs pinned to the pole. She was blindfolded and gagged. Jamie was handcuffed to a wooden chair with his arms behind him. His mouth was duct taped shut and his legs were shackled to the legs of the chair.

"LINDA!" Danny tried to get up but found himself tied to his chair, "JAMIE!" 

"Glad to see you awake Detective. They can't hear you, or see you. They can't even hear or see each other." Drew walked into the room, "You were told to leave things alone. But you didn't listen. This is your fault. What happens to them is on your conscious."

Danny watched helplessly as Oz walked into the room where Linda was, "If your husband just left me alone I wouldn't be here."

"How did he get away?" Danny gasped not recalling Oz running off.

"Cops are pathetic and weak. It's easy to get away when you sacrifice others." Drew laughed.

"Leave my wife alone. She has nothing to do with this." Danny shook his head seeing Oz take out a taser gun from the bag he'd brought in.

"As you wish." Drew held up his walkie talkie, "Change." He said. Danny watched as Oz stood and did nothing to Linda. A man walked into Jamie's room, Danny recognized him as one of the bodyguards for Oz.

"Please. Leave my family alone." Danny saw the large knife the bodyguard held in his hands.

"Wife or brother. Who gets hurt, Detective?" Drew grinned.

"What?!" Danny asked.

"Someone has to be picked. So you chose. Wife or brother?" Drew laughed.

"You can't make me chose that! Hurt me! Leave them alone!" Danny yelled at him.

"Hurt them both." Drew said into his walkie talkie.

Danny watched in horror as the bodyguard plunged his knife into Jamie's shoulder, "JAMIE!" Danny pulled his arms trying to get out of the chair he was tied to. He looked at the other room where Linda was. His anger surfoccing as he watched Oz use the taser gun on his wife, "NO! LINDA!" He was stuck watching his wife convulse as the electricity worked its way through her body, "YOU SICK BASTARD!"

"You think I'm sick? How's this for sick?" He picked up the walkie-talkie again, "More." He said.

"NO! NO! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Danny yelled seeing Jamie and Linda be hurt again.

"You won't chose. Until you pick someone I'll keep hurting them both. I wonder how much your wife can take before her heart gives out." Drew laughed, "You see Detective. We told you to stop snooping around. You made me move up deadlines just to get my work done. We told you to leave us alone. We told your wife to relay the message. But you didn't listen. And now you don't listen. I ask you to pick. Wife or brother and you refuse. This is your fault. They are hurt because of you. How do you think your wife will feel when she dies knowing she's being killed because of you? What about your borther? When we tell him it was him or you and you selfishly chose yourself." Drew grinned.

"Why are you doing this?" Danny tugged at his binds again, "You're Captain Black. Aren't you? Where are we? Please. Just let them go. Do whatever you want to me." Danny was ready to die if it meant his family would live, "Just let them go." 

"We really can't do that. As for Captain Black. It's our street cover. Just depends on who is wearing the hat today. But if you're asking who took the joy in killing those children, killing Penny. It was me. And I enjoyed every second of it." Drew smiled, "You're in my town now Detective. You're in Emerald City. The place where your nightmares come true."

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

 

Danny watched as Linda was tasered again. He'd begged and screamed for Oz to stop only to have him turn the current up higher. In the other room, Jamie was being sliced and stabbed. His blood pooling on the floor under him, "STOP! KILL ME! STOP HURTING THEM!" Danny screamed.

"You did this Detective. You killed them. You hurt them. You are killing them. Just pick one to die and one to live and you'll be able to save one person today." Drew laughed.

"PLEASE! STOP!" Danny felt a hard thump on his chest. Drew had a baseball bat in his hands. He swung it again hitting Danny in the center of his chest. Danny felt the air leave his body. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't yell. He couldn't move. The pain in his chest growing worse as the seconds went on. The lights started to turn off and on over and over again. He watched as Linda was suddenly drenched in water to make the shock worse. He watched as the man carved into Jamie's body, "NO!"

* * *

Beaz saw her partner and Jamie run off after Drew she quickly followed with multiple ESU officers. Oz and his bodyguards were taken down. They were only missing one and Drew.

"REAGAN!" Beaz yelled as the bodyguard hit Jamie knocking him out.

Not caring that the police were closing in, the man stood over Danny. He kicked him hard down the embankment into the river below. Danny's unconscious body slowly slipped under the water, "HANDS UP!" Beaz shouted, "GET BACK!"

"DROP YOUR WEAPON!" Penelope yelled at Drew. 

"YOU'LL HAVE TO KILL ME FIRST!" Drew screamed at her. He emptied his clip with the gun pointed at Beaz and Penelope. 

With two expert shots from Beaz and Penelope, Drew and the bodyguard was instantly killed. Two head shots made sure they weren't able to hurt anyone ever again. 

Penelope ran to her partner, "JAMIE!" She checked for a pulse, "CALL A BUS!" She sighed in relief knowing he was just knocked out. She watched as Beaz didn't think twice before jumping into the water after Danny's body. Slowly Jamie started to come out of it as Beaz fished for Danny's body.

In seconds Beaz had pulled Danny from the water, "HE'S NOT BREATHING!" She yelled. Beaz started mouth to mouth, praying her partner would survive this, "You don't get to do this!" Beaz hollered at him, "You have a wife and kids! Breathe! I'm not screwing with you!" She breathed for him again, "I said breathe!" Beaz yelled. She continued to breathe for Danny. Off in the distance, she heard the ambulances screaming, "BREATHE!" She shook in fear and anger.

Danny sat up sputtering water out of his mouth. His lungs expelling the water he'd swallowed, "Good!" Beaz patted his back.

"Linda." Danny's voice was rough and raspy, "Linda." He tried to fight against Beaz.

"She's okay. She's not here." Beaz tried to tell him.

"Jamie. Oh God." Danny pushed his partner, "I need to help him."

"I'm good." Jamie called over to his brother, "I'm alright." 

"No. Linda. Jamie." Danny shook his head his mind still playing tricks on him.

"Danny, Jamie is here. He's okay. Linda's not here. She's home safe." Beaz caught Danny's hand as he swung at her, "You need to calm down. It's okay."

"It wasn't real?" Danny looked around getting his bearings straight, "What happened?"

"Besides you almost drowning and dying?" Beaz asked.

Danny gasped for air still feeling his lungs aching, "Oh God. It was so real."

"It's okay. We're going to get you checked out. Everything is going to be fine." Beaz put a hand on her partner's shoulder as the EMTs rushed over.

* * *

Back at the Reagan house, Linda was tucked in bed with all three children. She needed to hold them close as much as they needed her. However, no matter what she did, she couldn't sleep. She felt something was wrong. Linda took a deep breath and slipped out of bed. She walked out of her room looking for Frank. Maybe he could give her some insight as to what was going on. Put her mind at ease. Linda walked downstairs between officers who roamed the hallway on high alert. Officers were outside the house even on the roof. The house was as secure as Frank could possibly make it. He wasn't taking chances with his grandchildren and his daughter-in-law. Not after everything Linda had been through. Not after she'd almost lost her life more than once. Frank refused to let her feel unsafe in her own home.

"You okay?" Frank asked, seeing Linda come downstairs.

"Can't sleep. We know anything yet?" Linda sat on the couch across from Frank.

"Not yet." Frank smiled, "Danny's fine. No phone call saying otherwise."

"So no phone call saying he's okay either." Linda said to him.

"No news is good news." Frank reminded her.

"I know. But..." Linda touched her neck, "I wish he was home."

"Are you feeling alright?" Frank asked wondering if she was in pain.

Linda nodded her head, "I'm okay Frank. Just really freaked out. He was holding my baby. He had her in his lap like he wasn't some type of psycho killer." Linda sighed, "I want this to be over with. It's kids. They don't deserve any of this."

"No, they don't. Danny won't let anyone get away with it." Frank said. He was interrupted when his phone rang, "I have to take this." He said answering the call, "Yes?....I see....Casualties?....Both of them?...Where?....Yes.....I'll be right there." Frank hung up the phone, "Go get dressed. Danny is fine. He was talking to the EMT's but he's being taken t the hospital. Jamie too."

"What happened?" Linda asked her father-in-law.

"We'll talk in the car. The kids are fine. We'll leave Sid here." Frank said, "Go get changed."

Linda ran up the stairs and did as she was told. She prayed Danny was okay. If he was talking to EMTs then he had to be okay. Linda shook her head praying Jamie was alright too.

 

 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Danny was sitting up in the hospital bed arguing with the doctor when Linda walked in.

"Danny!" She rushed to him. Danny hugged his wife tight. The images still fresh in his mind of seeing his wife be hurt. He knew it wasn't real but that didn't stop the feeling in his heart the second his wife was in his arms.

"Oh thank God you're okay." Danny held her close.

"Me?! You're the one that almost drowned! You're the one that's hurt!" Linda shook her head.

"I'll be fine." Danny promised. He kissed his wife's cheek, "I'm okay."

"What about the guy that came to the house?" Linda asked.

"He's not going to hurt anyone again." Danny told her.

Linda could tell there was something else bothering Danny. The way he held her protectively. The way he checked over her body for any injuries trying to hide what he was doing. He'd done it enough times that Linda knew what he was doing. After a short hospital stay to be sure he was alright Danny was released. He and Linda lingered back to talk to Beaz as Jamie and Frank made their way to the car to head home. Jamie had a concussion but was mostly okay. Danny was released after they checked his lungs to be sure he didn't do any more damage to them. Danny neglected to tell them about what he saw while he was unconscious for fear of them making him stay.

Danny and Linda walked into the elevator on their way to meet Frank and Jamie at the car.

"I'm really glad you're okay." Linda leaned with her back against Danny's chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm alright. I'm happy you're okay." Danny said honestly, "Linda. I had a really weird dream or something while I was out. I couldn't save you or Jamie." Danny squeezed Linda tight, "I couldn't do anything. It was so real."

"Oh, Danny." Linda turned in his embrace. The elevator suddenly shuddered to a stop, "What was that?" Linda grabbed Danny tighter.

"I don't know." Danny held Linda around the waist. He pushed the emergency call button waiting for someone to answer.

Linda jumped when gas started to fill the elevator, "Danny!"

Danny frantically pushed the button over and over, "It's okay. We're going to be fine." He lied to his wife. 

"You thought you had me? You thought you'd get away? I told you how powerful I am Detective. Now I'll show you." Danny's blood ran cold as Oz's voice came through the speaker. Danny didn't know how he got away but somehow he slipped through the hands of the NYPD. 

"It's okay, honey. It's okay." Danny held his wife to his chest as tight as he could knowing there was no way out. They were going to be victims of whatever Oz had planned for them.

* * *

When Linda woke up her head was pounding. She looked around the room she was in. It was a dark living room. She was tied to a chair facing the fireplace. She didn't see anyone in the room with her but felt someone in a chair behind her. Linda tried to twist her hand just enough to feel the person behind her. She grasped their hand. Immediately she knew it was Danny behind her.

"Danny!" She hissed.

"Linda! You're awake! Thank God!" Danny squeezed her hand.

"Where are we? Are you okay?" Linda took a deep breath.

"I'm alright. We need to try to get out of these ropes." Danny said, "Can you move your fingers at all and pull it?"

"I can try." Linda twisted her arm trying o pull at the ropes, "I can't get it." Linda said sighed, disappointed with herself.

"It's okay. We're going to get out of here." Danny squeezed her hand.

"Danny, who is this guy? How did he get to us?" Linda asked.

"He calls himself Oz. I thought we had him in custody but he must have slipped out." Danny frowned.

"It's amazing how many cops will look the other way when you offer them cold hard cash." Oz stepped into the room.

"Let her go." Danny practically growled at Oz, "You said you don't hurt families."

"No. I said I won't hurt children. And I don't. Your children are safely at home, unharmed. I will, however, hurt your wife to teach you a lesson." Oz grinned, "You may have taken my men and killed Drew but as I said before. I'm great and powerful. I have more men. And while you did capture the man responsible for killing small children and tearing families apart, you should know that you still crossed a line. You still bothered me when I asked you not to." Oz paced the floor and spoke as if reprimanding a child, "Now you pay the consequences of your actions. Your wife will know how you're a coward. A liar. How you can't protect her or anyone. How you were given the chance to walk away but you decided to sacrifice your family for your job." Oz smiled. He walked over in front of Linda where Danny couldn't see him, "It would be a shame to mark up such a pretty face." He took her chin in his hands.

"Leave her alone!" Danny tried to get out of the rope but the knots were too tight.

"Get away from me." Linda jerked her head out of Oz's hand.

"Women are too far beneath me to talk back to me." Oz slapped Linda across the face.

"OW!" Linda cried out.

"You bastard! Don't you touch her!" Danny squeezed Linda's hand.

"I'm going to touch her all I want. You see Detective. I'm not planning on hurting you. I just want to hurt her. I want to carve her with my pocket knife. I want to watch her bleed all over. I want to watch her struggle for air while I choke her to death. I want you to suffer Detective. And what better way than to torture your beloved?"

* * *

Frank and Jamie stood by the car talking while they waited for Danny and Linda. Ten minutes ago, Danny had said they were on the way out. Frank wondered what was keeping his son and daughter-in-law. You stay here. I'm going to hustle them along. Frank left Jamie with his security detail as a few officers and Garrett followed Frank back into the hospital. When they got to where Beaz was standing they looked confused, "Where's Danny?" Frank asked her.

Beaz shrugged her shoulders, "Thought he was with you?"

"No. Haven't shown up yet." Frank called Danny's cell which went straight to voicemail, "Something isn't right." Frank frowned. He heard buzzing, "Shh! Everyone quiet!" Frank called Danny's phone again listening for the sound he thought he heard. Frank's heart skipped a beat when it saw Danny's' phone on the floor next to the elevator. An Emerald City postcard like the others that had been left at the scene was underneath it, "Find them!" Frank barked suddenly greatly concerned for the welfare of his family, "And find out the name of whatever officer let this happen. I want to know who took him into custody and why he's not here anymore." Frank searched the area for any clues hoping that his family was going to be okay.


	13. Chapter 13

"Do you know that your husband was told to let this case go and he refused?" Oz asked Linda.

Linda squeezed Danny's hand behind her, "Good. Someone like you deserves to be arrested." Linda prepared herself for the smack she knew was coming. She squeezed Danny's hand as she bit her tongue forcing herself not to cry out in pain. She didn't want to make this any worse for Danny than it already was.

"I swear to God when I get out of here." Danny tugged against the ropes.

"You'll do what Detective? Because right now it looks like I can do anything I want to your wife." Oz took a roll of duct tape off the mantle, "Your husband can't do a thing to save you. He can't even stop me from this." Oz ripped a piece of tape off and covered Linda's mouth. She shook her head trying to avoid it but there was no way she could stop him. Oz roughly pressed the tape over her lips, "Now things are about to get interesting." He reached for the button on Linda's jeans. She tried to move to prevent him but it only assisted in him pulling her pants down over her butt. Linda shook her head wildly.

"Let her go!" Danny tried to look over his shoulder but couldn't see anything Oz was doing He could feel the panic as Linda moved behind him. He squeezed Linda's hands trying to somehow help her even if it was just to offer his strength to her.

Linda started sobbing when Oz took a hunting knife from the side of his belt. He cut Linda's panties off her. Linda's heart hammered in her chest. This sick monster was going to rape her while Danny was tied up and had to hear the whole thing. He then reached up under her shirt and cut her bra off. Linda was confused when Oz pulled her pants back up but kept her slashed bra and panties in his hands. He slowly unzipped his pants and dropped them to the ground with a loud thump. Danny knew immediately what was happening.

"Don't touch her! I swear to God!" He yelled at Oz. Oz's only reply was to throw Linda's panties and bra in front of Danny on the floor, "Oh God! No! Get off her!" Danny's wrists were burning against the rope as he tried to get out of them. He felt Linda grab for his hands, "Oh Linda." Danny's eyes welled up with tears at the horror of his wife being raped and him completely useless to stop it. He felt Oz's hands on the back of his wife's chair and the extra weight pressing aginst his back.

Oz pressed himself against Linda thrusting against her. Linda cried as she realized Oz was pretending to rape her just to mess wth Danny's mind. She squeezed Danny's hand as Oz put his head near Linda's ear so Danny could hear him grunt and moan as he pretended he was raping her, "No wonder you're married to her, Detective. She's quite the good screw isn't she?" He laughed.

"You're going to die. I promise you." Danny held his wife's hand praying she would forgive him for not keeping her safe.

Oz loudly made a show of pretending to finish off and pulling his pants up, "Thanks." He pressed a kiss to Linda's cheek. Linda jerked away from him feeling sick to her stomach.

"You bastard! You want to sit there and talk about how I'm a coward!? But you rape a woman who is tied up and can't even say no! You force a woman to have sex with you because you are the coward! You're the liar! You're the weak one! You're pathetic! You're a sick freak! You can't even be a man and come after me! You have to attack a defenseless woman to feel powerful!? You're not powerful! You're weak! You're a jackass! A pitiful little asshole who has nothing better to do than hurt someone smaller than you! You're the coward!" Danny spit every insult he could think of to get Oz to hurt him instead of Linda.

"You think I'm weak?" Oz walked over in front of Danny. He took a length of rope in his hand, "I'll show you how weak I am." Oz swung the rope over Linda's neck behind Danny. He put his foot on Danny's chair to use as leverage as he pulled backward choking Linda, "Am I weak now?" He laughed.

"Stop! Get off her!" Danny struggled against his ropes, "Get off her! You're killing her!" Danny kept Linda's hand in his as they sat back to back, "Get off her! Let go!"

Linda felt her eyes water as she struggled to breathe. She tried to move her head to get the rope off but it was too tight on her neck. Finally, she felt the pressure let up as she gasped for air through her nose.

Oz grinned at Danny, "I can't kill her just yet." He pulled his knife out flashing it to Danny, "She hasn't bled yet."

"Hurt me! Let her go! She doesn't deserve this! Let her go!" Danny yelled. He felt Linda flinch in pain as Oz stabbed her in the thigh, "Oh God Linda." Danny squeezed her hand, "Please! Let her go! Leave her alone!"

Oz pulled the knife out of Linda's thigh. He reached around the Reagans to wipe the knife off on Danny's pants just to show him Linda's blood, "You're the weak one Detective." Oz grinned, "I'll be back." He jammed the knife into Linda's shoulder causing her to cry out in pain and grip Danny's hands tightly. The angle of the knife was sticking out so Danny would be able to see it over his shoulder but wouldn't be able to reach it. Oz laughed as he walked out of the room leaving Danny and Linda alone.

"Oh God Linda. It's okay. We're going to get out of here. It's okay." Danny repeated over and over, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." With the tape over her mouth, Linda couldn't reply. She squeezed Danny's hand hoping he had a plan, "We just need to get out of these ropes." Danny said. He knew he was no longer wearing his gun or anything on his belt. He could see it all in a pile on the bricks in front of the fireplace, "If I could just reach my belt." Danny frowned, "We're going to get out of here Baby. I promise." Danny looked around for something to help get them out when he realized one of the legs of his chair was loose. Danny wondered if he could break out of the chair. If he could move his feet he might be able to reach the knife he had strapped to his ankle. If he could do that he could cut them free. Then he'd be able to get his belt from the bricks in front of the fireplace and have his gun back, "Honey, this might really hurt because of that knife in your shoulder and I'm so sorry Baby but it's the only way. I'm sorry." Danny apologized. Linda nodded her head and squeezed Danny's hand. He prayed his plan would work. He kicked as hard as he could against the loose leg of the chair. He felt the chair give out and Linda yelp in pain. His the rope around his legs loosened enough for him to get his feet out. Danny knelt down to reach his knife with his hands. Once he had the small pocket knife in his hand he cut his hands free. Danny quickly turned around and cut Linda free. He took the tape off her mouth, "It's okay Baby. It's okay."

"Danny." Linda cried. Danny kissed her lips as he pulled the knife out of her shoulder knowing he was causing her pain. It was then that Danny realized her shoulder was dislocated, "You gotta pop my shoulder back in." Linda knew just how much this was going to hurt. But she also knew it had to be done, "It's okay. Just do it." She saw Danny's eyes grow wide at the idea of hurting her even more, "It's okay."

"I'm sorry Baby. I'm so sorry." Linda buried her head into Danny's shoulder to muffle her scream as he popped her shoulder back, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He apologized over and over again. Danny took off his shirt, ripping it in half. He wrapped part of it around Linda's leg to stop the bleeding and the other part around her shoulder where the knife once was. Danny grabbed his gun, "Stay close behind me."

"Okay." Linda nodded her head.

Danny walked slowly towards one of the windows looking for an alarm of some kind if he opened it. Not finding one he slid the window open, "Do you have your phone on you?" Danny asked Linda.

"No. It was in my purse and I don't have that either." Linda shook her head.

"Okay." Danny looked around outside not seeing anyone in the yard, "New plan. You need to go out this window and run. Run as fast as you can and as far away as you can until you find help. Call Dad."

"You're not coming?" Linda asked.

"No. I'm going to kill this son of a bitch." Danny said honestly.

"Danny, please. Don't leave me." Linda feared what would happen with Danny facing off against Oz by himself. Especially after Oz said he had more men already.

"It's okay. I'm going to be fine." Danny kissed her hard on the lips, "It's okay. You have to go."

Linda tried to hold back her tears, "What about you?" Danny would have replied had it not been for the gunshot that shattered the window they were standing next to. Danny immediately covered Linda from the glass, "Danny!"

"I didn't have to miss." Oz smirked, "I could have easily shot both of you."

"Just let her go." Danny stood in front of Linda, protecting her.

"You think because you hold a gun now that I still can't hurt her? That you still won't be the cause of her pain and suffering?" Oz asked.

"You're not getting out of here alive Oz." Danny shook his head.

"What? You and you're useless wife are going to stop me from killing you two?" Oz slowly approached Danny and Linda.

"Stop! I'll shoot!" Danny threatened.

Oz shot his gun at Danny hitting him in the hip. Only to have Danny instantly react and shoot at Oz. Oz quickly ducked behind the couch to avoid being hit.

"Danny!" Linda saw the blood spill out of her husband's body.

"You're going to die Detective." Oz shot at them again this time narrowly missing Linda's head.

Linda dropped to the floor and covered her head. Danny missed Oz again as he slipped behind the couch again. Oz shot off another round towards the Reagan's. Linda flinched hearing the bullets flying around.

"DROP THE GUN!" Danny yelled at Oz. He stumbled as Oz's bullet hit him in the leg. Danny couldn't stand any longer. The pain in his hip becoming unbearable.

"Now you die Detective." Oz walked over to them knowing Danny's gun was empty, "But first I'll shoot your wife so you can watch her bleed to death."

Danny swung at Oz only to be knocked to the ground when Oz hit him over the head with his gun. Oz was too busy beating Danny senseless, stomping on his, kicking him in the gut, that he never saw Linda Reagan grab the fireplace poker. She swung it over her head smashing it down on Oz's back.

"You bitch!" Oz turned around, pointing his gun at Linda. Danny saw what was happening. He rolled to his side coughing up blood. He lunged at Oz wrapping his arm around Oz's throat cutting off his air supply.

"Don't. Touch. My. Wife." Danny squeezed Oz's throat as tight as he could. Oz rammed Danny backward into the wall to get him to let go but Danny was relentless. He clung to Oz tightening his grip. When Oz hit Danny backward into the side of a bookshelf it stunned Danny enough for his grip to slip. Oz turned around ready to punch Danny only to be knocked from the side of his head by Linda who swung the fireplace poker at him, "Linda." Danny breathed out.

"Danny." Linda walked over to Danny breathing heavily. She felt like she was going to pass out. Linda started to sway standing still. Danny barely had time to catch her before she fell to the ground. It was then that he saw the blood on the back of her head.

"It's going to be okay Baby. It's going to be okay." Danny held his wife close, "I got you. It's okay."

Oz moved from his spot on the floor reaching for his gun. Danny tried to get to it before Oz. Danny held Linda tighter when he heard another gun go off.

"NYPD! Don't move!" Jamie's voice yelled loudly, "They're in here!" The room quickly filled with officers including three ESU teams, Beaz, and Jamie's partner, "Someone cuff this guy!" Jamie shouted as he ran over to his family, "We need to get you two in a bus." Jamie said.

"Jamie, she's bleeding from the head." Danny looked at his little brother with his wife slowly losing consciousness in his arms, "Get her out of here. Take her Jamie." Danny begged his brother to save his wife.

"You're coming too." Jamie scooped Linda into his arms as an ESU officer helped Danny to his feet, "Let's go." Jamie and the officer helped Danny and Linda out of the house and into a waiting ambulance. Danny refused to be treated until Linda was. It wasn't until he walked into the ER that he allowed anyone to come near him with anything other than gauze to put pressure on the gunshot wounds. Danny watched as Linda was quickly wheeled into her own room to be treated. He thanked God that the house was raided as quickly as it was. He hated that he couldn't stop Oz from hurting Linda. Danny prayed she'd forgive him. He prayed she'd be okay. Danny had no idea just how serious Linda's head wound was. He had no idea that the doctors that were treating his wife next door would soon realize it was a bullet that caused her head wound.


	14. Chapter 14

Danny sat in a hospital bed with his father beside him. Linda was in emergency surgery. He almost lost it when he heard how Linda needed surgery to get a bullet pulled from her skull. One of Oz's bullets ricocheted off the fireplace and hit Linda in the back of the head. She was lucky to be alive. Danny hadn't spoken a word about what happened to Frank. He asked about all the children, about Jamie, his partner, Beaz. Asked about how they were found so quickly(TARU traced Oz's cell phone location) and how Oz escaped(paid a hefty sum to a cop who was now stripped of his badge and gun and sitting behind bars) but spoke not one word of what happened. Even when Frank asked. Danny let them treat him for his wounds. Surgery to remove the bullets in Danny's hip and leg went quickly. His spleen had ruptured causing him to start coughing up blood when Oz stomped on his side. They took it out when they pulled the bullets from Danny's body. He was out long before his wife. Danny sat in the hospital bed no knowing what to do. For once in his life, he was lost.

"You should eat something." Frank handed Danny a cup of water and a few crackers, "She's going to want to see you when she gets out."

"She was shot in the head. I'm lucky she was breathing on her own." Danny covered his eyes, "I did that to her." Oz's words still stuck in Danny's head.

"You didn't shoot her." Frank said.

"If it wasn't for me she wouldn't have been shot. She wouldn't have been hurt. She wouldn't have been stabbed. She wouldn't have been raped." Danny felt tears in his eyes, "I had to sit there, tied up, holding her hand, while that bastard raped her. I felt him push her and heard him. I heard her screaming and crying. She couldn't even say no because he taped her mouth shut. And I couldn't do anything. I had to hear it and feel it knowing I was useless to protect her at that moment."

"And I know Linda knows that there was nothing you could do. I know she will understand that. And I know you'll do whatever it takes to make her feel safe again." Frank said, "Danny, you did nothing wrong here."

"Detective Reagan?" The doctor appeared at the door, "Your wife is out of surgery. We're going to put the two of you together. Apparently, there's not a chance of you staying here and her being upstairs anyway." He said, "We got the bullet out." He walked over to the foot of Danny's bed, "We'll know how much damage it did when she wakes up but it looks like the angle helped it be less severe than we originally thought. It's more serious than just being grazed by it but it had slowed down before hitting her so it didn't hit brain matter. It was still in her skull when we got her upstairs. We are hopeful. We treated the knife wounds which needed quite a few stitches. Her arm will need to be in a sling for a while. With the shoulder injury plus the stab wound, we don't want her to over-exert herself and pull her arm out of the socket again. I do have a question for you Detective. We did the rape kit as requested due to what you told us, but are you sure she was raped? We didn't find any evidence to come to that conclusion."

"I'm sure. Maybe he used a condom but I was there. I heard the whole thing." Danny said.

"We'll run what we have to be sure and put her on antivirals just to be cautious. They are just getting her set and she will be down in a few minutes. Do you have any questions?" He asked.

"How long until she wakes up?" Danny asked. He wanted nothing more than to see her eyes and tell her he loved her.

"Hopefully within forty-eight hours, but with a head wound, we don't want to make any promises. We'll see what happens." The doctor said. He turned to leave the room as Linda was wheeled in.

Danny reached an arm out, "She needs to be closer. Please." His voice sounded so broken and desperate. The nurses and doctor pushed the two hospital beds close enough together so Danny could reach over with his right hand and hold his wife's left hand, "Linda." Danny looked over at her with tears in his eyes. Her right arm was bandaged and pulled in a sling. The blankets were covering her up to her chest. Her body looked so frail and small. She'd lost some color from the blood loss. Her head was wrapped in gauze from the surgery. Danny squeezed her hand tight, "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Hours later Danny had laid in bed staring at Linda. He hardly moved. Jack and Kathleen, and Sean had all been in to see their parents. The room was filled with Frank still sitting beside his son, officers standing at their posts in the hall, Kathleen asleep with her head on Jack's lap on the small couch in the room, Sean sitting in a chair close to his mother, and Jamie sitting near the window.

The only sound in the room was the light beeping of machines, "You kids should go home. Be with Charlie. Be with your siblings." Danny said, "Kathleen needs somewhere better than here to sleep."

"I'm staying till Mom wakes up." Sean said.

"Us too." Jack spoke up.

"I can check on all the kids." Jamie offered quietly leaving the room. He walked into the hall and pulled his cell phone out to call his partner and Beaz who were at the Reagan house refusing to leave the childcare to just any officer when he bumped into a young, pretty woman, with long curly black hair, "Sorry." He apologized.

"It's okay." She grinned, "I'm Margaret. I'm the charge nurse for the night for Detective and Mrs. Reagan. How's everyone in there? Does anyone need anything?" She asked.

"I think we're okay. I'm just calling to check on the kids." Jamie said, "Maybe coffees and waters but I think everyone's pretty much all set. Just wishing Linda would wake up soon."

"Give her some time. She'll get up soon. I'll bring in some drinks in a few minutes." She offered, "Hope your kids are alright." She misunderstood him when he said he was checking on children.

"Oh! No! Not my kids. Their kids." Jamie grinned.

"Got it. Sorry." Margaret blushed.

"It's okay. Thanks for the drinks and stuff." Jamie said knowing it wasn't part of her job to play hostess to the family. He watched as she smiled and nodded before walking behind the nurse's desk to work while he called Penelope to check on his nieces and nephews.

* * *

It was early morning when Danny woke up. He felt his wife squeeze his hand tightly. Danny's eyes popped open to see Linda starting to wake up, "Someone get a doctor!" Danny yelled to the room full of Reagans. Danny sighed in relief as Linda looked at him with a smile, "Hey Baby." 

"Hey." Linda said feeling sleepy still.

"Oh God, it's good to see you." Danny smiled at her.

The doctor walked into the room followed by Margaret and a few other nurses. The doctor walked over to where Sean was standing beside his mother's bed, "How do you feel?" He asked Linda.

"Like I was shot in the head." Linda replied.

"I need to ask you a few questions." The doctor grinned at her cheeky answer, "What is your name?"

"Linda Reagan." She replied. Linda followed the doctor's finger as he checked to make sure she didn't have any brain damage. It was routine after any head injury.

"Do you know what happened to you?" He asked.

"Pretty sure I was shot in the head." Linda didn't feel up to answering questions. She knew he was doing his job but she just didn't feel like dealing with it.

"Do you know who is in this room?" The doctor made a few notes on her chart.

"My family. Who I'm going to kick out and send home soon because no one looks like they've slept in a long time." Linda started at Jack and Sean as she spoke.

"I'm going to unwrap these bandages. I'd say you passed for cognitive function. I don't see any lasting damage. Can you wiggle your toes and squeeze my hand?" He watched her motor skills, "Great." The doctor took off the bandages and changed the dressing so Linda had a much smaller pad of gauze on the back of her head where she'd have a scar from the wound. The doctor went through her chart at her request and then Danny's. Linda demanded to know what was wrong with both of them before letting the doctor leave the room, "Okay Mrs. Reagan. You're all set for now. We'll come back and check on you in a little bit."

"Mom." Sean hugged her tight, "We were really scared."

"We love you." Jack hugged her next.

"You can't leave this baby yet. We don't even know if it's a boy or girl." Kathleen hugged her mother-in-law.

"Reagan's make boys." Danny grinned.

"And Grace, Faith, Erin, and Nicky are what exactly?" Kathleen smiled.

"Reagan's mostly make boys." Danny corrected himself.

"You guys need to go home. See the kids. Give them hugs and kisses for us. Make some homemade playdoh or something." Linda said knowing Kathleen always did something crafty when babysitting.

"We want to stay." Sean protested.

"C'mon. Dad and I need to rest." Linda said trying to hide the fact that she really wanted to talk to Danny alone.

"Let's go. I'll take you guys home and help with the kids." Jamie offered.

After a tear-filled goodbye, Linda and Danny watched their kids leave with Jamie.

"You too Frank. You need to get some rest." Linda told him.

"I just wanted to be sure you two are alright." Frank said, "And tell you that Oz died while being operated on upstairs. He can't come after you anymore and his accomplice is behind bars with accessory to attempted murder charges."

"What happened?" Danny asked.

"He went into cardiac arrest on the operating table and they tried but couldn't get him back." Frank said. He walked over to Danny and hugged his son, "You two are safe." He promised. Frank walked to Linda's side of the bed, "I'll come back after a quick nap at the house." He hugged her tight, "You two get some sleep while no one is here." Frank instructed.

Linda brought Danny's hand to her lips as Frank left the room. She looked at Danny, "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I'm so sorry Linda. I'm sorry I got you hurt." Danny felt a tear fall as he looked at his wife.

"You didn't. You didn't get me hurt. It wasn't your fault." Linda cried.

"He...he hurt you in a way no one should ever touch you." Danny couldn't get the word 'rape' to form in his mouth.

"No. He lied. He didn't rape me." Linda shook her head "He pretended to do it so you would think he did. He touched me but he didn't rape me."

"Linda please." Danny couldn't handle her lying to make him feel better.

"Danny. I promise. He didn't rape me." Linda squeezed his hand.

"But you're panties and your bra...he took them off you." Danny looked confused.

"It was part of his plan to make you think he raped me. I promise. He didn't do it. I swear." Linda said to him.

One look in her eyes was all Danny needed to know she was telling the truth. She wouldn't lie about this, "Oh thank God." He pulled her and to his mouth to kiss the back of it, "Thank God." When Nurse Margaret would enter the room again to check on Danny and Linda, she'd smile to herself and go about her business pretending not to notice that Danny pulled both beds together so he could spoon up behind his wife and hold her while they slept. She'd pretend not to see the two of them sharing a pillow, pressed as close to each other as humanly possible. And when their family returned to visit, she'd pretend they requested time together to rest knowing that both Danny and Linda were sleeping soundly wrapped in each other and to move them or wake them would not only be disappointing for them both, but also slow their healing. After reading their charts and hearing what happened, their mental healing was just as important as the physical and right now, her patients needed to heal, long before visiting with family members. Sometimes, the best thing you could do for your patients was to look the other way when hospital policy was concerned.

 


	15. Chapter 15

The day Danny and Linda were both released from the hospital Danny didn't let his wife out of his sight for the entire day. If she was in their bedroom trying to rest he was sitting beside her watching her sleep. If she was downstairs with the kids he was next to her with his arm around her waist. Dinner that night had the whole Reagan clan over doting on Linda and Danny. Even Erin and Nicky offered to clear the table and wash dishes so Danny and Linda could stay seated at the table.

"I can't believe it's already so close to Thanksgiving. I can't wait until Black Friday." Kathleen grinned.

"Shopping?" Jamie asked.

"No way. I'm not that crazy. I just love decorating for Christmas and Jack said we can't put up the tree until Black Friday." She smiled wide.

"First of all, you  _are_  crazy, maybe not crazy enough to shop on Black Friday but crazy nonetheless and second of all, I said  _I_ wasn't putting up the Christmas tree until Black Friday and you refuse to do it alone." Jack teased his wife.

"Because it's not fun if you don't help." Kathleen put a hand on her baby bump that was growing by the day, "Besides bending down isn't really fun right now."

"Are you two planning on spending both holidays up here?" Jamie asked.

"Yeah. I don't really want to drive out to Boston just for a day or two. Jack has to work and I don't want to go all the way to Boston alone." Kathleen said.

"You're parents didn't mind?" Linda asked.

"My mom was irritated but I told her I was staying where my husband was and that she could come here if she wanted but she won't. I know her and my dad will stay home. He will probably work and she will stay with my sisters." Kathleen said.

"Well, we are happy to have you here." Frank grinned, "We have a lot to be thankful for this year." He looked down at the end of the table at Danny and Linda.

"Yes, we do." Danny kissed his wife's cheek, "I am so thankful for you." He whispered in her ear softly.

Linda blushed, "I love you." She held Danny's hand as chatter around the table continued to talk about holidays and upcoming plans. Linda looked over at Kathleen and Jack. He was sitting with his arm draped around her shoulders and his other hand on her belly. She smiled watching the two of them. She was so happy Jack had found someone who looked at him the way Kathleen did. She prayed they'd never lose their way from each other. She watched Sean play with Charlie in his high chair as he effortlessly carried on a conversation with his family. Taking care of his son had quickly become second nature to Sean. Not once did he ever hesitate to ask for help when he was struggling but Linda found most of the time Sean was just looking for guidance and approval rather than actually not knowing what to do. Grace, Faith, and Sam had been dismissed from the table when they finished eating and were quietly playing in the playroom where everyone seemed to be working together to make a Duplo town for their cars and trucks to ride around in.

Linda looked over at the table at Erin and Nicky. Still not on the best terms with her sister-in-law but when she and Danny were in the hospital Erin had come by the house to drop off pre-made meals to heat and eat. She and Nicky had stopped by the grocery store to fill the pantry and fridge hoping it would help out. Jamie sat between Nicky and Kathleen laughing at something Sean had said to Jack. Linda wondered if this time next year they'd have to get a bigger table. She saw Jamie exchange numbers with the nurse in the hallway. She wondered if there was a way she and Danny could coax Jamie out of his shell and actually go out with her instead of just swap numbers like it seemed he so often did. She smiled at Frank sitting at the end of the table. He'd been immensely helpful through everything. Linda didn't know how she'd ever be able to thank him for being such an amazing father-in-law. From the moment she started dating Danny until this very second. Frank Reagan had taken Linda into his family like it was always meant to be like that.

Linda watched her husband as he stared off into space. She knew he was lost in his own mind at the moment. She didn't know quite what was wrong. Oz had played mind games with Danny. Tried to put horrible thoughts and ideas into his head. No matter how many times she said it Linda just couldn't get Danny to see that none of this was his fault. She knew something was wrong. She squeezed her husband's hand in hers wishing she could help him navigate his way through this.

* * *

 

Later that night Linda was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom. She'd just stepped out of the shower, and dried off. She was staring at the scar on her shoulder. When Oz stabbed her and then she dislocated her shoulder it caused the knife to shift. Making the wound worse than it initially was. The scar wasn't a straight line that she'd be able to cover up easily. It was jagged with a point in the middle where the knife started to turn. The skin was a few shades lighter than the rest of her skin. It stood out. No matter what she did she couldn't stop staring at it when she saw her bare shoulder. Linda was thankful her hair would cover the scar on her scalp. She still hadn't been able to see it but the neurologist had promised they didn't shave her head. They were sure to cut her hair carefully, leaving it as long as possible, so it wouldn't show the small spot where they had to go in to retrieve the bullet in her skull. She'd be able to grow out the hair without fear of a bald spot on the back of her head. Linda wiped the tears from her eyes. She hadn't realized she'd started crying. She couldn't even figure out  _why_ she was crying. Linda heard a noise behind her that startled her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Danny frowned, "I heard you crying and I just...are you hurt? Are you okay?" Danny wondered what would cause his wife to stand naked in their bathroom and cry.

"I don't know. I'm fine. I'm not hurt. I'm okay." Linda said, "Just another scar." She sighed.

Danny averted his eyes trying not to look at Linda. If he continued to stare at his wife's body, all he saw was her torn bra and panties being thrown at him. Hearing someone pretend to rape her. He thanked God that Oz didn't actually do it. He could barely handle the fact that Linda had told Danny how Oz had touched her before pulling her pants back up. How he touched her breasts when taking her bra off. Danny saw the scar on Linda's arm and he knew it was worse because of him. He knew he was the reason she had to wear a sling. That he hurt her.

Linda watched as Danny stared at his feet. She wondered what he thought when he looked at her. That maybe he saw her in a different light after Oz pretended to rape her. Linda suddenly felt self-conscious in front of her husband. She wasn't standing there naked to seduce him. She was studying herself when he walked in. Now Linda wondered if he saw something he didn't like when he saw her. Linda carefully pulled her robe on to cover herself. She wasn't able to lift her arm above her head without help and right now it looked like Danny was more interested in his feet than his wife. Linda slid past Danny to find her pair of soft flannel pajamas that buttoned up so she could get dressed. She would have asked Danny for help but she knew he had to see the scar when he looked at her. He had to have that memory of Oz in his mind. She flashed back to when she was kidnapped and was being raped repeatedly by two brothers who had it out for Danny. How Danny found her on a dirty mattress while one of the men attempted to rape her in front of Danny. The memory of her Uncle touching her as a little girl hit her full force. Linda put on her pajamas and climbed into bed feeling sick. She had wanted to be strong for Danny. She'd wanted to help him through whatever he needed. Now she was curled into a ball under their covers holding back tears so Danny didn't see how her brain had started to spiral. How much her heart hurt. Linda felt the bed dip beside her. Danny flicked the lights off in their room and laid beside her.

"I love you." He whispered, "I'm so sorry Linda." Danny lay on his back listening to his wife sniffle trying to fall asleep knowing that even in death Oz was still playing games with him.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Later that night, Danny felt the bed move beside him. He opened his eyes to see Linda getting out of bed. He watched her slowly walk into their bathroom. Linda flicked the light on, shutting the door most of the way to keep the light from waking Danny. Linda took a few more pills of her pain medication. Her arm was sore and throbbing, as was her head. The pain in her arm radiating to the tips of her fingers and her head was pounding. Linda unbuttoned her shirt to inspect her shoulder. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She hated that this made her cry. She wasn't quite sure if it was the pain or her thoughts that were upsetting her but she couldn't stop it. She saw the scar on her shoulder wishing it wasn't there. She hated that it made Danny feel bad. She didn't blame him. She didn't fault him for any of it. But she wasn't sure if he'd ever see her again and not the scar on her shoulder. He hadn't even tried to hold her while they laid in bed. Linda prayed he just needed some time to work things through in his own mind rather than him thinking differently about her. Linda was so lost in her own thoughts and staring at her body she didn't hear Danny get up. Linda jumped slightly when Danny startled her.

"Danny." She gasped, seeing him in the mirror.

"Are you okay?" He walked up behind her, "You've been in here a long time." 

"I didn't mean to wake you." Linda shook her head.

Danny put his hand on the small of her back, "I couldn't sleep without you next to me." He confessed. When Linda woke up he felt her move. Danny had watched her enter the bathroom but after thirty minutes and hearing her cry Danny knew something was wrong.

"I just needed to take some more medicine. My arm and head were hurting." Linda went to cover her shoulder but Danny's hand stopped her.

"I am so sorry." His fingers ghosted over the scar on her shoulder, "You should never have been hurt like this." Danny frowned, "I should have done better at protecting you."

Linda felt goosebumps as Danny barely touched her, "You protected me. You did everything you possibly could to keep me safe."

"I caused this." Danny shook his head.

"You saved me." Linda corrected him, "You held my hand and kept me grounded while in that room."

"I keep thinking about it. Trying to figure out if there was something I missed. Some way I could have done anything other than hurt you to get us out." Danny confessed.

"You did what you had to do to protect us." Linda said softly, "I don't blame you for this." 

Danny flattened his palm against Linda's scar, "I made it worse than it would have been."

Linda turned around to face her husband, "Oh Danny." She kissed her husband's lips, "I love you. I promise. I don't blame you. For any of it. I'm amazed by how you were able to keep us safe. How you protected me. How you were ready and are always ready to do anything if it meant I was going to be safe." 

"But Linda..." Danny started to say.

He was cut off by her lips against his again, "Just listen." She whispered. Linda slowly unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off, "What do you see when you look at me?" Danny looked slightly confused, "Tell me what you see." Linda requested, "Because if all you see is that scar than you're missing the one mark on my body that means the most to me. This scar on my shoulder means you protected me. It's a mark on my body that will never stop reminding me of how you would do anything to keep me safe." Linda took Danny's hand and brought it around her back to trace over the only tattoo she had. She outlined the shape of the gold shield and her husband's name over an old scar, "That's what means so much to me. That's what I think about when I start to feel insecure or ugly. That's what I think about when I'm afraid and scared. That's wat reminds me of just how loved I am. How safe I am with you. How much you love me. How you'd do anything to protect me. How you would lay down your life for me without a second thought."

"I didn't protect you well enough this time." Danny frowned.

"But you did." Linda tried to make him see her point, "If it wasn't for you who knows if he would have actually raped me. If it wasn't for you, he could have killed me."

"If it wasn't for me you'd never have been in that predicament in the first place." Danny said.

"I think we've seen enough times that's not always true." Linda wrapped an arm around Danny's waist, "You. Kept. Me. Safe." Linda said emphasizing each word, "I am so grateful and thankful for you. I love you."

Danny kept one hand on her back holding her close. He bent his head to press a featherlight kiss to her shoulder, "I love you so much, Linda." Danny murmured, "You are so strong. So amazing. So perfect." Danny kissed his wife's lips, "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you but I promise I'll never stop trying to be the man that you deserve."

"Oh Danny, you already do that." Linda sighed in content. Linda leaned back against the bathroom counter as Danny studied his wife's body. The scar on her shoulder glaring at him, "Wasn't it you that once said to look at my scars and make them something good?" Linda asked. Danny nodded his head, "Then remember this one as a reminder of how you were the sole reason I'm alive. You are the reason I'm here, in your arms. You are the reason I'm breathing. See this scar as a reminder of the lengths you would go to, to keep me safe and protect me. Don't see it as something bad or something you seem to think you caused, which you didn't. See it as a reminder of your love." 

Danny smiled a bit hearing Linda repeat what he told her when she was shot by Curtis, "When did you get so wise?" He asked.

"When my husband reminded me just how beautiful and loved I am, despite any flaw in my skin." Linda pulled Danny close wth her good arm, "Take me to bed." Linda kissed his lips, "We both need the rest."

Danny nodded his head. He lifted his wife into his arms, "Okay" He said as he carried her to their bed. He knew she could just as easily walk there but he needed to feel her in his arms. To hold her close. To be sure she was okay.

"Don't hurt yourself just to be sweet." Linda said knowing he was still recovering and probably shouldn't be carrying her.

Danny held his wife close, "No injury will stop me from holding you." Danny kissed the side of her head as he carefully shut the bathroom light and carried her across the room, "Thank you."

Linda nuzzled close to Danny listening to his heartbeat, "For what?" She asked.

"Reminding me of what's important. For loving me." Danny carefully placed Linda on the bed who began to fix her shirt. Danny slipped back in bed beside his wife. He pulled her close so she could rest her head on his chest. One of Danny's hands flattened against the tattoo on her back while he slid the other in her shirt pressing his palm against her shoulder, over her scar, "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Danny kissed her head.

"I love you, Danny." Linda listened to the soft thumping of his heart beneath her ear. While Danny would still have work to do, to absolve himself of the guilt he felt. To get rid of the thoughts of Linda being hurt while he was helpless to stop it. He could breathe a sigh of relief knowing she was strong. She was going to be okay. That she didn't blame him for what happened. Most importantly that she loved him.


	17. Chapter 17

As the weeks passed, so did Thanksgiving with Kathleen helping cook with Linda who still had her arm in a sling. Danny went back to work after refusing to stay home for too long. They'd met with Dr. Bennet a few times over the last couple of weeks. She was helping Danny deal with the guilt he felt and the thoughts of Linda being hurt that stuck in the back of his mind while Linda tried to deal with the mental and emotional trauma she'd gone through. It was the middle of December before Linda was able to be free of the sling on her arm. By Christmas, her physical injuries were quickly becoming a bad memory and she was finally able to get rid of the pad of gauze she'd needed to keep over her stitches on her shoulder and leg. The day after Christmas, Danny had reluctantly gone to work early in the morning. He left long before the kids had woken up. Linda spent the day finding batteries for new toys and playing with the children. She looked down at the charm bracelet Danny had gotten her for Christmas. She wished he was home to spend the day with the family. Linda watched Sam run around in his police costume Jamie had bought him complete with his own mock NYPD badge bearing Danny's number. He'd been chasing his sisters around all morning trying to capture them while they played hide and seek. Charlie tried to keep up with the other kids but finally got tired of running and decided to play with his cars and trucks with his Daddy instead. Kathleen spent most of her day helping her mother-in-law with whatever she needed to clean up from the large family gathering the day before. Frank and Jack worked on taking down the Christmas decorations and lights outside the house.

Kathleen sat on one of the barstools in the kitchen as Linda put dishes away, "Is it hard being the wife of a cop? How do you deal with it when something happens?" She asked Linda.

"It's hard to hear that an officer was hurt. But you learn not to panic. You hold your breath and pray. And when you get that phone call that says it's not your husband, you pray for the family that just lost someone. You help do whatever you can to help the family through because they are still family. When one of them falls, it's our job to hold the family up." Linda told her.

"I was thinking about it the other day. I don't know how you don't freak out when Danny get's hurt." Kathleen said.

"I used to panic a lot. Then I realized that if I got a phone call from him saying he was hurt or from Frank saying he was in the hospital, I had to take a moment to breathe because Danny was hurt and I needed to be strong for him. I could lose it when I found out what happened. It could be something as simple as hitting his head and having a concussion or something as serious as when he was..." Linda took a deep breath, "Or as serious as when his ribs were broken and he almost died." She said a quick silent prayer that he'd come home safe tonight, "It's hard but you have family here around you. You have all of us to help you. And the best thing about being in this family is that you always know what happened. You always know how serious it is long before you get to the hospital. Having the commissioner in the family helps with not panicking as  much."

"It's going to be hard to not panic." Kathleen admitted.

Linda hugged her daughter-in-law, "Don't forget you have a family that will always help you no matter what."

"Thanks, Linda." Kathleen smiled.

The two women finished cleaning up the kitchen before helping take down the Christmas tree and box up the ornaments. Danny had called Linda telling her he'd be home late while he worked on a case. After Sean, Charlie, Jack and Kathleen left, Linda made Danny a plate for dinner and stuck it in the fridge with a note asking him to wake her when he got home. She wanted to talk to him about something. Linda put the children to bed that night hoping they'd sleep all night long. She needed the alone time with Danny when he got home. Linda changed into her pajama pants and one of Danny's old t-shirts. She smiled wide smelling her husband's scent still lingering on his t-shirt.

Linda slid into bed expecting Danny to be home in a few hours. She curled into his side of the bed as she fell asleep surrounded by him.

* * *

Danny got home later than even he expected that night. The clock was just ticking past one-am when he walked into the kitchen in search of food. Smiling seeing the note stuck to a plate of dinner leftovers Danny heated them up wondering what was on Linda's mind. If it was urgent she would have texted him or called. Danny cleaned his mess in the kitchen before double checking the doors and windows. Once he was sure the house was secure he checked on his three sleeping children. Danny smiled wide seeing Linda asleep in their bed. As much as he wanted to wake her he wanted to be able to climb into bed with her too. Danny took a quick shower before changing into pajamas. He walked over to his side of the bed and ran his fingers through Linda's hair.

"Hey, Babe." He whispered.

Linda scrunched her nose up and blinked a few times as she woke up. Linda smiled wide, "Your home." Linda rolled onto her back, stretching her arms high above her head, "Missed you today." 

Danny sat beside his wife, "I missed you too." He leaned down to kiss her, "Thank you for dinner. It was delicious." 

"Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it." Linda rolled to her side.

"You said you had something to tell me. Is everything okay?" Danny ran his fingers up and down her arm.

"I just forgot to show you something." Linda smiled, "Close your eyes." She said excitedly.

Danny had no idea what Linda could possibly be showing him but he obliged and closed his eyes, "Okay."

Linda took her husband's hand in hers. She pulled the neck of his shirt down to show her shoulder. Days ago while Danny was at work Linda had gotten her second tattoo without him knowing. He'd continued to say just how bad he felt when he saw that scar on her shoulder almost every time he was asked about it by Dr. Bennett. Linda finally decided to do something about it. She had gotten a simple outline of black heart with a thin blue line through the center of it. The tattoo covered the scar on her shoulder with ink. It was small enough to be tasteful knowing it would be seen quite often but Linda had been sure they placed it so the scar was completely covered with blue or black ink. Linda placed Danny's hand on her shoulder to feel the scar. Linda kissed Danny's lips gently, "You can open them now." She grinned.

Danny opened his eyes, his fingers moving around Linda's shoulder, "What is this?" He traced over it, "Linda." He sighed with a smile on his face, "When did you do this?" He asked.

"Almost a week ago. You inspired me to do it." Linda told him, "You keep saying you look at this scar and feel guilt. But I want you to see this scar and know that I know it's there because you protected me. You always protect me. That this scar represents how safe you make me feel." Linda smiled.

Danny's silence made Linda nervous for a moment, "Have I told you how much I love you?" He smiled at her, "This is amazing. Thank you, honey. I can't believe you did this for me." He traced over the tattoo.

"I'd do anything for you." Linda replied without a second thought.

"Linda Reagan. You are without a doubt the most wonderful, amazing, fantastic, perfect woman in the entire world. I am so lucky to be married to you." Danny pulled his wife into his arms, "I love you."

"I love you more." Linda grinned, kissing her husband's lips.

"I love you the most." Danny smiled. He kissed his way down her neck pressing a soft, gentle kiss to her new tattoo, "I love this."

"I'm glad you approve." Linda sighed happily.

The couple spent the rest of their night in each other's arms. Linda falling asleep while tracing her name on Danny's skin while he held her safe in his arms all night. Danny finally able to sleep soundly through the night seeing knowing his wife would love and support him no matter what battle they fought. As long as they were together, they could overcome anything.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone has a Happy Memorial Day today! :) <3 Thanks so much for all the wonderful comments so far! I'm loving writing this one. :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to like the pic that I used for Linda's new tattoo. It's here if you want to check it out: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b1/7f/27/b17f274a8861e278e00563084811936a.jpg

"C'mon Danny, please?" Jamie asked his big brother for a favor, "It's going to be fun!"

"Fun is not the word I'd use to describe New Year's Eve in Time's Square." Danny shook his head.

"You can't make me take her alone. I bet Linda would love to go." Jamie grinned trying to win his brother over. Jamie had been trying to get together with the nurse from the hospital. He didn't want to ask her out on a holiday on a date so he thought that if he said he was going out with his brother and wife, made it more of a group thing, she'd be more willing to go out with him.

"Linda would love to go where?!" She shouted from the other room after hearing her name. She and Kathleen had gotten up to get something from the kitchen.

"We're not going anywhere!" Danny shouted back at her, "I actually have the day and night off. I can spend time with my wife after our children are asleep. Do you have any idea how rare that is with six kids, one that's pregnant and a grandkid? And Dad living in the same house? Alone time, Jamie. Quiet, romantic, alone time." Danny sighed as he looked back at the TV.

"What if I babysit for a whole three-day weekend so you can and Linda can have a weekend away in the city?" Jamie bribed him.

"We're not going, Jamie." Danny shook his head.

"Where are we going?" Linda walked into the room with Kathleen behind her. Linda sat beside Danny on the arm of the chair he was sitting in while Kathleen took her seat next to Jack where she had been sitting before she went with Linda in the kitchen. Linda handed Danny another beer, "What are we talking about?" She looked at Jamie, knowing he was pestering Danny for something.

"We're not going." Danny kissed her cheek with a silent thank you.

"I want to take Margaret to New Years in Time's Square but I don't want to take her out for a holiday thing alone so I was trying to get Danny to agree to you two coming out with us. I offered free childcare." Jamie shrugged his shoulders.

"We have an offer for childcare and you turned it down?" Linda looked at her husband.

"For three days so you two can sneak away for a bit." Jamie added.

Linda smiled, "So are we going to meet up for dinner first or what?"

"You guys coming?" Jamie got excited.

"Linda. It's my day off." Danny said to her.

"Free childcare. For three days." Linda said to him, "There's not a lot I won't do for free childcare so we can have a weekend in the city."

Kathleen put a finger in the air, "Can we crash this? I want to go. I've never been. It would be so fun!"

"You're pregnant." Jack said to her.

"Yes, I am." Kathleen grinned.

"Well, I'm saying you can't go out like that?" Jack said.

"Why?" Kathleen asked, "We drove to four gas stations last night because I couldn't decide on what flavor Slurpee I wanted. And it was well past midnight when we left the apartment. Plus we'll be with your parents and your uncle. And it's our first New Year's Eve. Please? I promise if my leg hurts I'll tell you and find a place to sit."

"Everything okay?" Linda asked.

"Yeah. We went to get a check-up last week because I woke up with leg pain and found the baby is sitting on my nerve. I think they said it's a sciatic nerve? So my leg hurts if I stand for too long or sit for too long or just randomly. They said it's fine just watch how much I lift and it should go away after I have the baby because the baby is causing it. It's not a big deal, I'll be fine. I promise." Kathleen rubbed her belly.

"Alright." Jack sighed. He saw how happy his wife was and didn't want to disappoint her. Besides, she was right. They had two top cops, the best nurse he'd ever seen and his uncle's date was a nurse too. They were in good hands if something went wrong, "We're in too."

"Yes. We're going too." Linda grinned.

"Really Linda?" Danny groaned. He had plans for that night that didn't include anyone but Linda. He  _was_ trying to surprise her but didn't want to share his plan with everyone.

Linda leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Just think of me being naked eighty percent of the time when we take him up on that babysitting offer." She said softly so no one would hear her.

"Yup! We're going." Danny smiled.

"I need to learn how to do that." Kathleen grinned.

"What did you tell him? How did you do that?" Jamie was astounded at how quickly Linda was able to change Danny's mind.

"You'll learn when you've been married as long as we have." Linda smiled as Danny put his arm around her waist.

"That leaves me home with kids to babysit?" Frank asked.

"If you don't mind. But we can always find someone to come over if you don't want to stay home." Linda said.

"I'll come over Grandpa. Charlie likes to play with Sam, Faith, and Grace anyway. Plus then neither one of us will be alone." Sean offered.

"See! It all worked out for the best!" Jamie taunted his older brother.

"Dinner first is probably a good idea." Linda said, "That way it's not like just throwing her into a giant party."

"Anyone have an idea?" Jamie asked seeing as how he was getting his family to tag along.

"We should go to that Hibachi place over in midtown." Linda grinned, "It's really good. When we go out without the kids, it's one of my favorite places to go."

"So, I'll be driving home then?" Danny teased her. 

Linda blushed, "They have really good saké. And besides, you're going to wear your shield and gun so you can't drink like I can anyway. I might as well enjoy myself. And the only children that will be there, are over twenty-one so it's okay." 

"I wonder if a little glass is okay while pregnant?" Kathleen wondered out loud.

"I wouldn't drink a whole glass but a sip or two isn't really going to do anything." Linda said to her.

"It's alcohol. Isn't any amount bad for you when pregnant?" Jack asked.

"Technically. But a sip or two isn't going to harm the baby." Linda smiled, "I didn't know I was pregnant with you until a week after we'd had a big party and I had quite a bit of alcohol that night. And you're fine." Linda told him.

"You weren't twenty-one!" Jack's mouth dropped open to hear his mother confess to doing something illegal.

"And neither were you when you skipped school and went to a party, then came home with a hangover." Linda reminded him.

"Dad! You let her drink like that before she was twenty-one?!" Jack was flabbergasted to hear about this.

"Watch your tone." Danny warned him. Jack might be married and have a baby on the way but he was still expected to speak respectfully to his parents.

"Welcome to adulthood Jack! The years when you learn your parents told you not to do things because they'd already done them and realized how stupid they were." Jamie laughed.

"And here I am. In between adult and kid with a kid of my own and I still, can't drink." Sean frowned, "So not fair."

"Next year. We'll all take you out for your twenty-first. And don't think your mother and I don't know that there's beer in the fridge at your house." Danny grinned.

"It's not like  _I_ buy it. Jack does." Sean's big mouth spoke before his words registered in his brain.

"Oh really?" Danny looked at his oldest son.

"That is  _not_ what you say in a house full of cops." Jamie burst out laughing.

"You're such a doofus!" Jack said to his little brother, "I told you not to tell!"

"Oh my God, you can not make the pregnant woman laugh this hard!" Kathleen laughed till her side hurt.

Linda put a hand on Danny's shoulder, "You see, I told you he wasn't buying it."

"I mean, I could. It's not like I get carded. They see the last name and usually just let it go." Sean shrugged his shoulders.

Jamie put his hand over his nephew's mouth, "Shh! Someone needs to save you right now. Stop talking." He laughed.

"Where are these places at Sean?" Frank smiled wide.

"Do not say a word." Jamie told him.

"You lawyering up now Sean-O?" Danny teased.

Linda wiped tears away as she giggled, "I can already see cops in every corner store on Staten Island."

"I can't believe my grandsons would do such a thing." Frank shook his head, still smiling.

The Reagan family spent the rest of their evening teasing back and forth, setting up plans to spend the next holiday together. When the house was finally quiet and empty Danny walked upstairs behind his wife. They checked on their children, tucking Grace back into bed, finding Faith's stuffed bear that had rolled under her bed, and putting Sam back to his own bed instead of theirs. Linda made reservations for six for the restaurant they planned on going to for New Year's Eve while looking through her closet for something to wear. She couldn't wait to celebrate with Danny. They'd only gone out a few times for New Year's Eve. Generally opting to stay in each year and spend it with the kids or one of them or both of them ended up working. She was excited to actually be able to get out of the house on a holiday and do something with Danny. She was happy to share it with Jack and Kathleen as well. She coudln't wait to see Jamie with Margaret. She'd been trying to fix Jamie up for years. Hopefully this was the start of a great year for the whole Reagan family.


	19. Chapter 19

Linda stepped out of the shower to dry off and start doing her hair and makeup. The dress she'd picked out to wear tonight hung on the hanger behind the bathroom door. Through the door, she could hear Danny talking to Jamie on the phone going over the last minute details. Jack and Kathleen were meeting Danny and Linda at the house so the four of them could drive together. Jack had insisted that he could drive him and Kathleen or they could take the subway but Danny shut that option down quickly telling Jack he didn't have a choice. Jamie was picking up his date and would meet up at the restaurant. 

Linda slipped her dress on making sure it fit the right way. She hadn't worn this particular dress in a long time. She couldn't remember the last occasion that called for something other than church clothes in the winter time. It was a sleeveless red sweater dress with an embellished star pattern knitted into it. It had a ribbed trim and small sequins there the stars crisscrossed. It had a high neckline but that didn't stop it from fitting like a glove and showing off her body in a tasteful manner. She had a black velvet blazer to put over top along with her black belted trench coat to keep her warm outside in the snow while they waited for the ball to drop. She was planning on pairing the outfit with her tall black suede high heeled boots and ruby teardrop shaped earrings. She pulled her black stockings up before checking her makeup in the bathroom mirror again and her hair. Linda walked out of the bathroom to get her charm bracelet and necklace from atop her dresser. 

Danny sat on the edge of the bed in his pants and half-buttoned shirt, "Jamie, relax. I know it's your first date in a long time but relax. It's fine. She knows it's all family going to be there and she was fine with it, right?" Danny looked over at his wife, "Then stop worrying about-" He stopped mid-sentence seeing the form fitting dress on his wife, "I gotta go, Kid." Danny said clearly distracted, "Yeah. I'm fine. I just gotta go. I-I'll see you there." Danny ended the phone call not caring that Jamie was still talking. His wife taking his full attention, "Wow." Danny's eyes stared at his wife top to bottom and back up again, "When you said you were wearing a red dress,  _this_ red dress didn't come to mind." Danny said.

"Is something wrong with it?" Linda asked. She still wasn't sure about it. It was a little tighter than she remembered it being and she didn't get a good idea of how it looked from the back. Linda wondered if it just didn't fit right anymore. She smoothed her hand down the side of it, "Is it okay?" She asked not turning around to see the look on Danny's face, "What do you think?" Linda looked down at her stomach knowing it wasn't as flat as it once was, "You think it's okay?" Linda adjusted the dress over her butt and stomach making sure to smooth out any wrinkle before turning around to face her husband.

Danny was practically drooling as he ogled his wife, "Wow." He breathed out. Danny stood from the bed and walked over to his wife, "You're sexy." He kissed her lips, "God, Linda." Danny grinned, "I have no idea how an idiot like me landed such a beautiful, sexy woman like you." Danny slid his arms around her hips cupping her butt before resting them at the small of her back.

"Sheer, dumb, luck." Linda wrapped her arms around her husband's neck pulling him in for another kiss.

"You're going to wear something over this right?" He stared at her chest.

"Yes, Danny." Linda blushed seeing her husband's reaction.

"How much time do we have before Jack and Kathleen are supposed to be here?" Danny wondered.

"About a half-hour or so." Linda said, "Why?" Linda yelped with a giggle as her husband pulled her to their bed.

"Well, then we better be quick." He quipped as he tugged her on top of him.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later Linda was once again applying makeup and fixing her hair, "You made us late." Linda teased her husband who was tying his tie in the mirror.

"No, I think you wanting a second quickie made us late. Besides. We're not technically late. We were early before, now we're on time." Danny kissed her cheek. He slipped her necklace on for her while she applied lipstick, "Maybe you should think about your clothing choices and work on time-management." Danny said with a grin.

"I need to work on time-management?" Linda laughed, "Remind me again who is the one that can never resist sliding in the shower in the morning even though they are almost late more often than not because of it?" 

"I'm not sorry. You're insanely attractive and very sexy." Danny helped Linda into her blazer then coat but not without copping a feel first.

"C'mon. I'm sure Jack and Kathleen are downstairs waiting for us." Linda kissed her husband sweetly before exiting their bathroom to slide her boots on. She caught Danny gawking at her, "Really?" She grinned.

"I'm going to help take those off later." He grinned.

"You just want any excuse to put your hands up my dress." Linda rolled her eyes.

"Did you look at yourself? Can you blame me?" Danny asked her.

Linda shook her head with a smile as she walked over to him, "You're not so bad looking yourself." She slipped her hand in the back pocket of his pants, "I don't think we've dressed up like this in a while." 

"I think this is what you should wear around the house." Danny held her hips.

"Yes because this is very practical when chasing around sticky-fingered children, wiping butts and boogers, and making macaroni and cheese." Linda grinned.

"Maybe it's not an everyday type dress but maybe just walk around the bedroom in it." Danny flirted with his wife.

"Sweetheart. That's why I own lingerie." Linda kissed his lips before pulling out of his embrace. She started to walk down the hall to the stairs.

"Wait! You haven't worn that in a while either!" He called after her.

"What do you think is under this?!" Linda yelled from the top of the stairs. Linda walked down the stairs with a smile knowing Danny would have to deal with the mental image of her for the rest of the night. She walked into the living room to see Jack and Kathleen on the couch talking to Frank, "Hi guys!" Linda smiled at both of them, "Kathleen, I love your outfit! I missed the boat on cute maternity clothes. By the time I was pregnant with the twins, I was content in sweatpants every day." 

"Thanks! I wanted to find something comfortable but cute for the night. This shirt was practically a steal! There's this little maternity shop and the shirt was only like thirty dollars. It was great." Kathleen said excitedly. She was wearing a long flowing burgundy top and black maternity pants with chunky heeled clogs. Her black peacoat almost too small with the growing bump.

"Hey, Dad!" Jack greeted his father as Danny walked over behind Linda.

"You two look good." Danny grinned, "We ready?" He asked everyone.

"I'm starving." Kathleen grinned.

"You ate a granola bar in the car on the way here." Jack teased.

"No. The baby ate a granola bar. I need real food." Kathleen said to him.

"I ate everything if it wasn't nailed to the floor with Jack." Linda commented.

"I feel like I'm always hungry." Kathleen said, "It's absorbing everything."

Linda laughed, "Yeah. That happens." She looked over at Frank, "You sure you're okay with the kids? Sean should be over soon."

"We'll be fine. Right?" Frank looked over at Grace, Faith, and Sam running around playing, "We're good. You all have a good time. Danny, drive safely. Keep an eye on your brother." Frank said the same words he'd said for years to all of his children when they went out. From the time they were in high school and going to parties, Danny was told to look out for his siblings and drive safe.

"I will." Danny nodded his head, "Hey! You three! Daddy and Mommy are going out! Come give hugs and kisses!"

Linda crouched down bracing herself for all three kids to hit her at the same time, "What big hugs!" Linda hugged the three of them tightly, "You be good for Grandpa. And when Sean comes over, you play nice with Charlie."

"Okay, Mommy!" Grace grinned, "I be helper!"

"Me too!" Faith yelled loudly.

"Me free!" Sam raised his hand.

"Okay good. I love you." Linda kissed each of them on the cheek.

"You go to bed nice when Grandpa says it's bedtime." Danny hugged his children, "Love you."

"Love you!" Grace said to both her parents wanting one more kiss and hug.

"Love Daddy! Love Mommy!" Faith copied her sister with another hug and kiss.

"I love Daddy!" Sam hugged his father.

"What about Mommy?" Danny laughed.

"I love Mommy!" Sam reached for her. Linda took her small son from her husband's arms and kissed his cheek.

"You all be good." Linda said as she set Sam on the ground again. 

Danny picked up LInda's purse knowing she would forget it being distracted with the kids, "Bye! Thanks, Dad!" He said shutting the front door behind him. Ready for a nice night out with his family. He had no idea how the night would end. If he had any inkling things wouldn't be perfect he might have been able to stop it.

 


	20. Chapter 20

Danny and his family arrived slightly before Jamie and Margaret. Danny kept his hand on Linda's waist and had to keep from teasing his son who had obviously learned the same behavior. Jack's hand was around Kathleen's waist as they walked into the restaurant. Linda looked at the time on Danny's watch, "They should be here any minute now." She smiled.

"This is going to be so much fun." Kathleen was practically bouncing with excitement

"Wow. This is a really busy place." Jack commented on the packed restaurant, "I need to learn how to get into places like these."

"Your father arrested a guy who used to work here that was stealing cash." Linda grinned.

"So you used Dad's name to get a reservation?" Jack asked.

Linda smiled, "C'mon Kathleen. Let's go pick out a bottle of saké to bring home." She said avoiding the question. She and Kathleen walked over to the bar where Kathleen and Linda tasted both bottles before choosing one to purchase and take home with them.

"This is such a nice place. I'm glad we could tag along." Kathleen smiled.

"You two deserve a nice night out." Linda smiled at her.

"Wow! You look stunning!" A tall, dark-haired man put his arm around Linda's shoulder, "What is a beautiful creature like you doing at a bar all alone on New Year's Eve? Looking for a fresh start to the year?" He asked.

"Thanks but I'm not alone. Nor looking for anything." Linda tried to move away but he gripped her tightly.

"You sure? I'll make it worth your while." He leaned in closer to her.

Linda grinned, "I'm sure. I'm also pretty sure that if you don't stop touching me, my husband is going to kick your ass. Then arrest you for sexual harassment." Linda told the man, "You shouldn't touch women you don't know. Never know who's married to the NYPD. Have a good evening." She watched as the man immediately removed his hand from her body and backed off.

"Wow. Guys are creepy everywhere!" Kathleen commented, "I can't believe that guy!"

"I once got hit on while _talking_ to Danny. We were sitting on barstools next to each other at a pub near the house in Staten Island, and some guy leaned between Danny and I to hit on me. Danny cleared his throat, flashed his badge, and told the guy to get away from his wife and the guy went running with his tail between his legs." Linda laughed.

"And I thought it was bad when guys catcalled me at school." Kathleen said.

"Jack's been raised by Danny. I'm sure there will come a day wen he hits some guy for being disrespectful to you. I lost count of how many times Danny has done it for me. More so when we were a lot younger. Now he just stands like that." Linda nodded towards where Danny was intently staring at her and Kathleen, "Most guys find that intimidating enough and walk away, or he flashes his badge around. Sometimes, if they really get to him he'll show off that he's carrying his gun too." Linda paid for the bottle of wine they'd pick up on the way out. The two women laughed as they walked back over to their respective husbands. Danny's hand immediately wrapping around Linda's waist, "I'm fine." She said softly.

"I know." Danny nodded his head knowing she could hold her own ground but still wanting to hold her close, "I'm just holding you." Danny grinned.

"Hey, guys!" Jamie said from behind them.

"Hi!" Margaret waved, "How are you?!" She smiled happily towards Danny and Linda.

"We're good." Linda hugged her fellow nurse, "I'm glad you could come out with us today."

"Me too." Margaret grinned.

The group sat down for dinner, laughing and chatting. Linda and Margaret quickly taking off into a conversation about nursing and found out they had met before. Margaret had participated in a nursing program that was taught at St. Vincent's when Linda worked there. Linda had been one of the nurses the students from the program shadowed for two weeks before moving on to another department. Jamie and Margaret got along amazingly well with her already teasing him by the end of the night.

The group traveled to Time's Square for the late night festivities. Linda stood with Danny holding her from behind while Jack and Kathleen held hands in the snow waiting for the ball to drop. Jamie slid an arm around Margaret's waist keeping her close to his side.

"So what's it like dating a cop?" Margaret giggled.

"Well, you'll never again face the door of a restaurant or anywhere you go for that matter." Linda laughed.

"What?" Kathleen asked.

"Because he's always on alert. He's always keeping an eye out for who is coming and going. What's going on. The best exits. They get trained to be hyper-vigilant it's like second nature." Linda grinned, "Oh and randomly he will ditch you. Could be with the kids or on a date but if someone he arrested for something is nearby, Danny's just up and left before."

"Why? Wouldn't you stay to make sure everyone is safe?" Kathleen asked.

"Because if they recognize me, then it can put my family at risk if they know who they are." Danny kissed the top of Linda's head, squeezing her tight.

"We had to stop ordering pizza from this pizza place because Danny and one of his former partners, Jackie, were involved in a thing that got the owner arrested and the place was shut down. That will happen to you too." Linda laughed.

"It was a drug bust. The guy was dealing drugs to kids." Danny defended himself.

"It wasn't wrong to stop him, I'm just letting her know exactly what it's like to be in a relationship with a cop." Linda teased, "Every person you know will ask if he can fix a ticket they got and then get ticked off when you say no. Sometimes they will even ask about a friend of a friend who got arrested but it's not a big deal. Someone's always asking for a favor. He will be late, stand you up, miss important days, and sometimes you'll have no idea why because he can't tell you. He will lie to you because he has to or because it really will keep you safer if he lies. You'll never watch a cop movie or TV show without him saying all the things they are doing wrong. You'll learn all the ten-codes and have a whole conversation with them between the two of you. Only I got double the learning because Danny was also a Marine so I also memorized the phonetic alphabet and find myself spelling my name that way to other people." Linda grinned, "Any weird noise in the middle of the night makes him get up from the bed and clear the house before he can go back to sleep." Linda teased, "When you see a radio car go flying down the highway you're first thought will be 'I wonder if that was him?' You'll know his co-workers mostly by last name only. Overtime isn't optional for him. He has to be fit for duty at all times. He will cut off a phone call by telling you he's gotta go deal with a guy or a thing came up and hang up on you. You'll sleep alone a lot more often and he'll sleep whenever he can depending on the shift schedule. It's always interesting in the middle of the day trying to keep the kids quiet while Danny sleeps because he came home at eight in the morning." Linda sighed, "Some friend you know will inevitably say something bad about cops and then back peddle and say that didn't include your husband but you won't be able to let it go so you'll let go of the friend. You'll worry. And then lie that you don't worry when he's working but he'll know you do anyway. You'll hug him tighter before he leaves not knowing if he's coming home. And when he does you'll hold him longer wanting to savor every moment." Linda blushed as Danny pulled her closer to him, "It's not easy. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

Danny smiled, "I love you." He said seemingly mesmerized by his wife.

"I love you." Linda turned over her shoulder to kiss her husband.

"You're not supposed to do that yet!" Jamie teased his brother, "There's one minute left!" He yelled as the ball began to drop.

Linda grinned as Danny spun her in his arms to hold her closer and kiss her properly. They tuned the world out around them as they stuck hard and true to their tradition of kissing their way through the new year.

"5....4....3...2...1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!" The whole crowd around them shouted.

Jack put a hand on Kathleen's belly, "Happy New Year." He smiled before kissing his wife.

"Happy New Year." Margaret grinned at Jamie. 

Jamie pulled her close, "Happy New Year." He said to her before kissing her.

"I love you." Danny whispered to Linda.

Linda grinned, "I love you." She kissed him once again. The group spent the rest of their late night listening to live music, and having a good time. It was almost two in the morning when they made their way out of the hectic crowd.

"This was so much fun!" Kathleen grinned, her cheeks rosy from the snow that had started to fall.

"It was a really good night!" Linda agreed.

Danny pulled her to his side, "I'll admit it. Jamie had a good idea."

They carefully walked back to their respective cars, "Thanks for coming out everyone." Jamie hugged his family.

"We should all do this again." Margaret held Jamie's hand as he opened her car door, "Linda, I'd love to hang out sometime."

"Yeah. That would be great." Linda nodded her head.

"Wow Uncle Jamie, you've already got her making plans with Mom and it's only been one date?" Jack teased his uncle.

"It was a really good date." Margaret replied.

"You know what they say, practice safe sex, sleep with a cop." Linda quipped not realizing what she said until she said it. She covered her mouth as she started to laugh.

"MOM!" Jack laughed out loud.

"Oh my God! That's great!" Kathleen burst out laughing with tears in her eyes.

Jamie laughed loudly, "Now I see where Sean gets it from!" 

"I'll need to remember that!" Margaret giggled.

Danny tried hard not to laugh but couldn't help it, "I told you those two extra drinks post-dinner wasn't a good idea." He teased his tipsy wife, "We'll see you for dinner Sunday, Kid." Danny shook his head as Linda laughed at herself. He kept his hand around her waist as they gathered in the car. 

"I'm glad you two had a good time. You needed a nice night out." Danny said to Kathleen and Jack. Danny carefully drove them through the streets of New York City.

Danny kissed the back of LInda's hand as he stopped at a red light. Danny didn't have time to react or move the car when a drunk driver slammed into the back of Danny's car pushing them through the intersection and over the double yellow lines.


	21. Chapter 21

When Linda woke up there were lights and sirens all around them. She was lying on her back on the grass staring up at the night sky. Linda tried to sit up but felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Don't move." Danny said to her.

"I'm fine. My head really hurts." Linda sighed, "Are you okay? The kids?" She tried to turn her head but couldn't see from the angle she was at.

"I'm fine. Hit the steering wheel but I'm fine. Kathleen and Jack are already on a bus on their way to the hospital. No one looks like they were really hurt. Kathleen said her belly hurt and her neck but she wasn't bleeding and she could walk even though her leg was bothering her. Jack is fine. He probably has a concussion but he's good." Danny said.

"Let's get her on the bus." A team of paramedics walked over to where Danny was with Linda, "Where are you hurt?" He asked Linda.

"Just my head. I must have hit it on something." Linda said, "It's probably nothing. I'm okay."

"No. You're not. You need to go to the ER." Danny said to her.

"Danny, if it's just a concussion I'm okay." Linda sighed.

"You were knocked out." Danny said to her. He squeezed her hand, "You were knocked out when we hit the telephone pole." He told her, "Your head is bleeding. You're going to the ER."

"Okay." Linda nodded her head not wanting to argue about going or not. She didn't realize she was bleeding but she wasn't all there at the moment either. Linda was quickly put into the waiting ambulance and taken to the nearest ER.

* * *

 

"Okay, let's take a look how the baby is doing." The OB on call in the ER said calmly to Kathleen and Jack, "How far along are you?" He asked.

"Almost twenty-two weeks." Kathleen said. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. She had been panicking since the moment she realized they were in an accident.

"Is the baby okay?" Jack asked impatiently. He kissed Kathleen's forehead, "It's going to be fine. It's okay." He said softly.

"Give me just a second here...." The doctor turned the sound on so they could hear the baby's heart beating strongly, "Good heartbeat. Most cases like these are scary but turn out okay. The baby is in a large soft sac that cushions it. But we'll see what we can find." He said putting the ultrasound wand on Kathleen's belly, "Do you know what you're having?" He asked as he showed them the baby's head.

"We're supposed to find out at the next appointment." Kathleen cried.

"That's always exciting." The doctor smiled as he checked the baby.

"We can't wait to find out." Jack squeezed Kathleen's hand tight.

"Want to find out tonight?" The doctor asked them both.

"You can tell us?" Kathleen asked.

"If you'd like. The baby is fine. Looks perfectly healthy, I see no abnormalities. Nothing is wrong with the baby. You've got a burn from the seatbelt but that's relatively normal and that's probably the pain you're feeling. But the baby is just fine." He smiled.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"Here is baby's head. And here is two arms, two legs, ten fingers, ten toes. And this right here means the baby is a girl. Congratulations." The doctor smiled.

"And she's okay?" Kathleen cried.

"She's okay." The doctor grinned, "I'll get your paperwork together and you two can get out of here."

"Thank you!" Jack smiled wide, "It's a girl! A beautiful baby girl! She's going to look just like you! She's gong to be so beautiful!" Jack hugged his wife before kissing her sweetly.

"She's okay." Kathleen held Jack tight, "I was so scared."

"Me too Honey. Me too. But you're okay and our daughter is okay." Jack smiled.

"And you too." Kathleen gently touched the large bump on his head.

"We're all okay. It's going to be just fine." Jack promised her.

"What about your parents?" Kathleen asked.

Jack looked behind him through the door, "My grandpa just walked in. I'll see if he knows anything." Jack kissed Kathleen before stepping out to call Frank over, "Grandpa!"

"Jack!" Frank rushed to his side, "Are you two alright?" He walked into Kathleen's room.

"We're okay. Have you heard about Mom and Dad yet?" Jack asked.

Frank shook his head, "I just got here. Uncle Jamie was talking to your Dad a few minutes ago." Frank sat next to Kathleen's bed, "How's the baby."

"She's just fine." Kathleen smiled.

"She?!" Frank grinned.

"Yes. She." Kathleen nodded her head, "We just found out."

"That's fantastic! Congratulations." Frank hugged Kathleen.

"Thanks." Kathleen hugged him back, "I'm just really concerned about Linda and Danny." She frowned.

"I'm sure they will be fine." Frank said, "They are both strong people."

Kathleen took a deep breath, "How did this happen? Who hit us?"

"A drunk driver who is in custody at the moment." Frank said, "Danny will have to get the car fixed but it's not a major accident. I'm sure they are just waiting on something like a blood test or checking Linda's shoulder carefully."

Kathleen nodded her head as she waited for hers and Jack's discharge papers hoping everyone would be okay.

* * *

 

"What do you mean I can't see her right now?!" Danny paced back and forth. Linda had been brought back down from a CT scan and the doctor still refused to let Danny see his wife.

"We just need a few minutes with her to check her over and we'll let you know when you can see her." The doctor said as gently as he could.

Inside Linda's room were a second doctor and a team of nurses.

"Good news. You're going to be just fine. A minor concussion but you should be just fine in a few days with some rest." The female doctor grinned, "I noticed you have a shoulder wound along with some new scarring. Was it from an accident?" She asked.

"Not exactly." Linda shook her head. She didn't feel much like talking about what happened.

"There's also some old bruising and a scar on your head. Is there anything you want to talk about or share? Is everything okay? Work and home?" She sat next to Linda asking her questions.

"Yeah. Everything is fine. I'm just..clumsy." Linda sighed. She really wanted Danny with her. Her head hurt and the doctor was asking a lot of questions.

"You sure that's it? Clumsy? Because I know when someone is clumsy a lot it's because they have a partner who isn't the best at keeping them safe. And I'm sure it's a lot harder to admit that it's not always your clumsiness that causes a bruise when you're married to someone in the NYPD. But there are people that can help you. And programs for women that are 'clumsy'." The doctor said compassionately.

Linda looked highly confused, "What do you mean?"

"Mrs. Reagan. You said you used to be a trauma nurse. I know you know abuse when you see it. So do I. Clearly this has been going on for a long time. But I promise he won't even know you said anything. We will escort him out of the building with security and he won't be allowed to hurt you again." The doctor told her.

"You think Danny abuses me?!" Linda gasped.

"Well, of course, we do." The doctor said.

"My husband wouldn't hurt a hair on my head. He did nothing wrong. He would never, ever, do anything to hurt me." Linda shook her head.

"Are you sure you don't want to say something to one of us?" She asked.

"I'm sure." Linda nodded her head, "Can I see him now?" Clearly annoyed with the doctor.

"I'll have someone bring him in." The nurse sighed thinking she was trying to help a battered with when in reality she had the wrong family to ask about hurting a woman. No Reagan could ever do such a thing.

Danny walked in the room moments later, "Linda! Oh, thank God!" Danny ran over to her and held her close, "You're okay."

Linda nodded her head, "I'm alright. A little banged up but I'm okay. Linda said, "How are you?"

"Cut my hand on some glass but I'm alright. The car, not so much. The kids are fine." Danny kissed her lips, "I love you."

"I love you." Linda hugged Danny tight. 

* * *

Linda barely let Danny go until she and Danny were discharged after Jack and Kathleen were. Jack with a minor concussion, Linda with one as well plus a few stitches in her head from the front glass breaking. Danny with a few bumps and bruises and a cut on his hand from the glass breaking, that required stitches. And Kathleen with a burn from the seatbelt and a few minor injuries. The four piled into Frank's detail unit car for the ride back to the Reagan house where Sean was holding down the fort while the kids all slept. Linda squeezed Danny's hand tight during the car ride.

"I have interesting news that came out of tonight." Kathleen said to everyone int he car.

"Oh, yeah?" Danny asked.

"We found out what we are having." Kathleen grinned, "The doctor did an ultrasound to check the baby and told us what it is."

"What is it?!" Linda smiled excitedly.

"We're having a girl." Jack handed his mother one of the ultrasound pictures they were given.

"A little girl! That's so cute!" Linda cooed.

"Congratulations!" Danny smiled.

"See! Reagan's don't always make boys." Linda teased her husband.

"She has like six sisters. Odds were in her favor." Danny teased back.

Linda shook her head, resting it on her husband's shoulder. She was desperate for her own bed. Between her head hurting, the alcohol, the medication she was given, and being exhausted from the night out Linda was ready to get out of the car and crawl under the covers hoping someone, anyone, would take care of the little kids in the morning.

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

As the weeks carried on the snow kept coming. It was so bad the city shut down all public transportation and told people to stay off the roads, leaving Danny stuck at work and Linda home with Frank and the kids. Faith and Sam had tired themselves out playing in the snow while Grace went out for a total of ten minutes before proclaiming it was too cold and she was going to turn into a popsicle, then cried because she was cold. Frank stayed inside and spent some quality time with his granddaughter while Linda and the twins build snow forts and snowmen in the backyard.

Linda took the opportunity to watch one of the movies she'd been trying to watch on Netflix for what felt like forever. Linda figured it was early enough that she'd be able to watch a romantic movie in peace. It was a Netflix movie about a woman who was trying to get away from her abusive husband who just so happened to be a police officer. The woman gets away only to have him hunt her down. Eventually, the woman falls in love with a man in the town she's hiding in. The husband finds the woman and a cliche gun battle breaks out where the husband dies and the woman and man can live happily ever after.

Linda pulled the fleece blanket off the back of the couch as she sipped a glass of wine to watch her movie. Linda had been so interested in her movie she didn't hear the front door open and shut. Danny slid off the boots he was wearing and walked quietly into the living room. He smiled seeing Linda blushing ear to ear as the two main characters made love for the first time since the protagonist found her way into town, in a much more explicit scene than Linda thought would be on a B movie. 

Danny walked behind the couch so Linda wouldn't see him. He leaned down next to her ear, "Hi Baby." He whispered.

"Danny!" Linda gasped as he startled her. She half-way jumped off the couch much to Danny's amusement, "That's not funny!" She paused her movie.

"What are you watching?" He grinned.

"This romance movie I've been trying to watch all week." Linda smiled at her husband, "Thought you were stuck at work?" 

"Perks of being a Reagan. Followed a snow plow home." Danny grinned. Linda sat back down on the couch only to be pushed gently aside by Danny who pulled her into his lap. He slipped his hands up the back of her shirt, "You're warm." He grinned.

Linda yelped from the cold, "You're hands are freezing!' She laughed.

Danny kissed his wife's lips, "Cold yet?" He teased.

Linda arched her back as he kept taunting her with his freezing cold fingers, "Don't you use heat in the car? Your whole body is freezing." 

"You're a lot hotter than the heater." Danny grinned. He slipped his hands down her pants to cup her butt.

"We have things called blankets in this house." Linda shivered from his touch.

"I heard body heat is a better way to warm up." Danny joked.

"Only if you're freezing to death." Linda shook her head. She kissed her husband sweetly, "Even your lips are cold." Linda frowned.

"You can warm me up while you finish your movie." Danny offered. He shifted the two of them so they could lie down on the couch with him spooned up behind his wife, after taking his belt and gun off, setting them safely on the coffee table for now.

Linda unpaused the movie, "I'm glad you're home." She rested her arm overtop of his at her waist.

"Me too." Danny kissed Linda's shoulder, pulling her close, "So what's going on in this movie besides sex?" Danny pulled the blanket over both of them to keep his wife warm as well as himself.

"She is married to an abusive husband who she ran from. He's a cop so he's trying to use whatever he can to find her. He traced her car and credit cards and stuff. The guy she's sleeping with now was in the Army but is now home after his tour and works as a bouncer at this strip club she found a job at that hired her without needing ID and stuff. The husband will find her soon. I'm sure of it." Linda explained.

Danny pulled her tighter to him, "I love you." He said softly.

Linda grinned as she felt him pay more attention to kissing her shoulder, cheek, running his hand up and down her arm, over her hip, down her leg. Danny threw one leg over his wife pulling her whole body against him. She jumped when the husband started shooting at the woman and man. Danny was quick to kiss Linda's cheek promised she was okay. When Linda cried because the male lead was dying, Danny hugged her tight whispering words of love and devotion. The movie ended with Linda crying now because of a happy ending.

"That was a good movie." Linda wiped her eyes. She rolled onto her back to see Danny better, "I love you so much." Linda sniffled.

"Yeah?" Danny grinned.

"Yeah. I do." Linda wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You know I think my lips are still really cold." Danny smiled cheekily.

"Oh really?" Linda pulled him down, kissing him softly, "We should do something about that."

"More kissing, less talking." Danny shifted to lean on top of Linda.

Linda nodded her head, "That's a good plan." She smiled against his lips. Linda tilted her head to the side as Danny kissed down her neck, "I was thinking." She sighed, "We still have that three-day weekend Jamie offered."

"Yeah." Danny murmured as he kissed the tattoo on her shoulder.

"We should go away for Valentine's day." Linda flinched as she felt the tips of Danny's cold fingers on her stomach, "It's on a Wednesday so if we book for the weekend before or after he can still go out with Margaret on actual Valentine's day." Linda sighed happily as her husband touched her.

Danny looked up from where he'd been nipping at her neck, "That's a good idea. Whatever you want to do. Wherever you want to go. It's all up to you, Babe."

"You sure you'll get the time off?" Linda asked.

"I'll do my absolute best." Danny promised. Danny kissed her deeply, "There. I sealed it wth a kiss." He grinned.

"I'm so lucky." Linda grinned.

"I think I'm the lucky one." Danny rolled them over so Linda could lay on top of him. He traced patterns in her back with his fingertips, "You're amazing Linda." 

"Being married to you has a lot to do with that." Linda flirted, "Take me to bed?"

"Yes, ma'am." Danny took her wife's hand in his. He picked up his belt and gun with the other before following her to their room where they'd spent the rest of their evening warming each other up and basking in the joy of how wonderful it was to be married to each other.


	23. Chapter 23

Winter started to pass and the snow slowed down, with Danny and Linda actually getting two of their three days in the city uninterrupted. Danny spoiling Linda with three days of small gifts. Valentine's day came in the middle of the week. With Danny working as usual for a Wednesday. Linda was waiting for Grace to get off the bus while Sam and Faith played on the grass at the corner. Linda was surprised to see Danny pull up on the side of the road in front of her.

"Hi, Daddy!" Faith saw him and yelled. Danny stepped out of the car and hugged his daughter.

"Daddy!" Sam followed his sister to hug their father.

"How was your day?" Danny hugged and kissed both of them.

"I made Mommy a card!" Faith said excitedly.

"Me too!" Sam grinned, "It a heart!"

"That's amazing. Want to know a secret?" Danny grinned. Faith and Sam nodded their heads excitedly, "I got Mommy a card too." He said softly.

Linda laughed, "You're out of work early. You coming home or stopping by?" She grinned.

Danny walked over setting both kids on the ground to play while they waited for the bus, "Home for the night hopefully." Danny kissed his wife sweetly, "Happy Valentines Day." He grinned.

"Happy Valentines  Day." Linda replied, "You look tired. You okay?" She asked. 

"I'm home. I'm good." Danny put his arm around her waist, "How was Charlie today?" Danny lifted the toddler from his wife's arms, "Were you a good boy today?"

"He was wonderful today. I think he's finally getting over that cold from last week. No fever and he ate everythign imaginable today." Linda replied. She saw the bus coming up the road, "Bus!" She called to Faith and Sam who loved to line up to greet Grace whenshe got off.

"Yay!" Charlie clapped his hands.

Danny grinned, "Are you happy to see Grace? Me too!" Danny smile quickly faded seeing Grace step off the bus looking sad. Two of the older boys who lived on the other end of the street got off after her.

"Grace, what's wrong?" Linda asked her sullen daughter.

"Bobby's mean on the bus!" Grace pouted.

"Hi, Mrs. Reagan." The third-grade boy said, as usual, each day.

"Nick, do you know what happened?" Danny asked.

"This new kid on the bus, Bobby who is in second-grade said something mean to Grace and she told him that wasn't nice and he pulled her hair. But I punched him for you. It's okay. Right, Grace? You can sit next to me tomorrow and I'll make sure Bobby doesn't be mean to you. My Dad said it's not okay to touch girls and make them cry. Bobby's dad probably didn't teach him that. So I punched him because he's not nice." Nick explained.

"Thank you for protecting her, but you probably shouldn't hit kids either." Linda gently reprimanded her neighbor's kid.

"It's okay. When our parents find out I'll let them know he was trying to make some stupid kid leave Grace alone." Nick's big brother, Mark said, "Bye Grace. We'll see you tomorrow!" Mark and Nick waived as they crossed the street to their house.

"That kid is lucky he didn't get off on this bus stop." Danny hugged Grace tight, "You're okay Ladybug. Daddy's going to make sure that kid doesn't hurt you again."

"Daddy, can you arrwest him?" Grace asked.

"I'll take care of it." Danny kissed her cheek, "Want to walk home with Mommy or ride in Daddy's car?" 

"Can I sit in the front?!" Grace smiled wide hoping he'd say yes.

"Only because we are going three houses down to our house." Danny said sternly. Usually, he didn't start the car until everyone was buckled properly but to make her happy and since their house was just down the road he'd let her sit up front.

"YES!" Grace jumped up and down happily.

"C'mon! Let's head home and then I can start dinner." Linda said to the twins. She took Charlie back in her arms and started to walk with them back to their home.

Once everyone was inside, Grace ran off to play with her siblings and Charlie forgetting about the mean kid on the bus. Linda turned the oven on to pre-heat and started preparing dinner. Danny opened a beer and leaned against the counter. He silently watched Linda walk around the kitchen pulling out pans and ingredients. After almost fifteen minutes of silence, Linda turned to him, "What?" She asked wondering why he was staring at her this whole time.

"Nothing." Danny shook his head. The case he'd caught earlier today stuck with him. A woman arrived in the hospital badly beaten by her husband. When Danny and Beaz arrived at the home of the couple they found the husband had committed suicide. In his note, it explained that he drunkenly beat his wife and he was sorry. Thankfully the couple's baby hadn't been harmed during the altercation but something stuck a cord with Danny. Maybe it was because it was Valentine's Day, maybe because the couple had been happily married for thirty-some-odd years, maybe it was because she'd told him about the hospital ER assuming he'd hurt her after the car accident on New Years. Maybe it was because the woman had a baby late in life causing an odd mix of stress and joy he'd felt when they found out they were pregnant with the twins. Whatever it was, Danny was anxious to get home to his own wife.

Linda kissed her husband, "If it's nothing, then you can help." She handed him a jar that she couldn't open.

Danny grinned, "I can do that." Linda spent the rest of the evening knowing something was bothering her husband by the way his gaze lingered. The way his hand constantly found hers. The way he offered to do dishes himself and put kids to bed so she could take a hot bath.

Linda was sitting on their bed flipping through Netflix to find something to watch when Danny entered the room after putting all three kids to bed. He climbed on the bed next to his wife pulling her close.

"You going to tell me what's bothering you today?" Linda asked as she continued to scroll.

"Just a feeling I'm trying to shake from a case." He admitted, "I have something for you." Danny leaned over the bed to reach into his nightstand drawer.

"We already exchanged gifts and I got the flowers you left for me this morning." Linda said not knowing what he could have.

"This is just something small." Danny handed her a small black box.

Linda grinned, "What did you get me?" She opened it up to see a set of diamond and blue sapphire dangling earrings, "Danny." Linda smiled wide.

"I wanted you to have something to open today." He said.

"I love you. Thank you." Linda kissed his lips, "They are beautiful."

"You're beautiful." Danny flirted. Danny spent Valentine's Day night trying to get rid of the feeling he'd had in the back of his mind. Thankfully that task was easily accomplished before he fell asleep with her curled in his arms.

* * *

A week later, the twins had a great fifth birthday filled fun, cake, and presents. Grandpa of course spoiling each kid getting Sam a huge garage for the cars Grandpa bought as well and a new racetrack. Faith got a big dollhouse with accessories for all the new dolls he bought her. Jack and Kathleen planned trips with each of the kids. They were going to take Sam to the Natural Museum of History to see the dinosaurs, then a trip to ride the carousel in Toys R Us along with being able to pick a present, and Faith was getting a trip to the American Girl store to buy a doll and have tea. Sean and Charlie had bought each of them a few small toys. Nicky bought them both a set of 'my first books' to help them while they learned to read. Erin got Sam a bunch of Superhero Lego sets and Faith a trunk of dress up clothes. Grace had been excited to go to the school store and buy her siblings a present. She came home with a coloring book for Sam and a Barbie doll for Faith. Danny and Linda doting on their twins. They'd bought a few toys but stayed more practical seeing as how the rest of the Reagan family didn't disappoint when it came to toys. With both Sam and Faith outgrowing most of their clothes Danny and Linda spoiled them with new clothes for play, school, and church. Danny sliding more than one NYPD or police themed t-shirt into both kids boxes of clothes.

* * *

As February faded to March then April the whole family was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the newest little Reagan. Even Margaret who had become a regular at Sunday dinners was excited for Jamie and Kathleen.

Late one Monday morning Linda woke up to her phone ringing. Seeing Danny asleep beside her Linda wondered who was calling.

"Hello?" She answered still half-asleep. The second she heard Jack's voice frantically telling her they were headed to the hospital she was fully awake, "Jack, you need to calm down. It's going to be a while before the baby comes, so relax. We'll meet you at the hospital, and breathe. You both need to relax...I love you both." Linda hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Danny rolled over with his eyes still closed.

"We have to get up. Kathleen is in labor."  Linda grinned, "When did you get home?" She slid her glasses on before turning on the bedside lamp.

"What time is it? Danny sighed.

"Two thirty-eight." Linda stretched her arms above her head then stood up.

"About an hour ago." Danny yawned. He slid out of bed to get dressed to meet his son and daughter-in-law at the hospital. His first granddaughter was on her way. Despite the sleep deprivation, Danny was excited for Jack and Kathleen.

 


	24. Chapter 24

Linda sat on the hard, uncomfortable, waiting room couch with her feet up and her head on Danny's shoulder, "I can't wait to see her." Linda smiled, "I wonder if she will look more like Jack or Kathleen."

"I wonder what they are naming her." Sean said as he sat across from his parents.

"I know what the baby's name is." Linda grinned.

"How come you get to know?" Sean asked.

"They needed help thinking of a name. They had an idea but weren't really sure what to do with it. So I helped." Linda grinned.

"What is it?" Jamie asked.

"She hasn't even told me the name yet." Danny grinned. He pulled his wife close, "I've been asking since I knew she knew what it was and she still won't tell me."

"You have a clue though. I let something slip about it last week." Linda told him.

"You said that the baby's name is named after you but that it's not exactly your name. And 'lyn' could be in a thousand name. And your middle name is just as hard to pin down to one variation of it." Danny smirked.

"You should dig deeper, Detective." Linda teased.

Margaret pulled her phone out and started searching baby names, "Yeah. There's a ton of 'lyn' names." 

Linda laughed, "You won't figure it out in time." 

"Did this include your maiden name too?" Margaret asked.

"No. Just some name that includes either my first or middle name." Linda giggled at how determined Jamie's girlfriend was.

Danny, Linda, Sean, Jamie, Erin, and Frank sat waiting for the news of a new baby. The sun had come up and the sitter had gotten all the kids to school or daycare. Garrett brought breakfast and coffee while making Frank aware of anything important he needed to know that Tuesday. It was another three hours before Jack walked out with a large grin on his face.

"No one warned me how alien like babies look when they first come out. That was a fun surprise." Jack grinned, "Everyone is good. The baby is clean and cute now and is at the nursery and Kathleen is resting so I've got a few minutes to be out here. She said I can show pictures and tell everyone her name. Want to see?" He held out his phone to his mom and dad first.

"She is so adorable." Linda cried happy tears.

"Congratulations Jack." Danny hugged his son.

Jack's phone was passed around between all the Reagan's who 'oohed' and 'ahhed' over the cute baby girl. 

"So, we are all anxious to know. What do we get to call this beautiful baby girl?" Frank asked.

"Her name is Madelaine Hope Reagan. We wanted to honor Mom but we really liked the name Hope but we couldn't figure out how to work that out so we asked for Mom's help." Jack grinned, "But Mom's middle name is like super Italian." Jack laughed.

"He's right." Danny teased his wife.

"What is it?" Jamie asked.

Linda nodded her head agreeing with her son and husband, "You all forget, my family is Italian Catholics. So, Linda Maddalena Giarrusso was fitting for a very Italian Catholic family." Linda laughed.

"And I didn't want to do that to my kid." Jack smiled, "There was a lot of names we thought of but we kept coming back to Madelyn or Madeline. And there's like five thousand spellings, pronunciations, and variations of those." Jack rambled not realizing he was doing it. He was so excited he just kept talking and bouncing up and down as he spoke, "Anyway we finally settled on spelling it the Irish way because Kathleen like the way it looked and it still pronounces it with the 'lyn' sound she liked. She's so cute though. I gotta go back and check on her. I don't like leaving her alone. She's cute, what if someone takes her or something. So I gotta go. When Kathleen wakes up, you can come in and say hi." Jack said nervously to leave his baby girl with just anyone.

"Jack." Frank cleared his through.

"Yeah?" Jack turned back around halfway through the doorway.

"There are cops at all exits, officers outside and inside, plain clothes and in uniform because Kathleen had a baby. Plus my regular detail unit is on the floor here. Madelaine isn't going anywhere but home with the two of you." Frank smiled, "I took care of security already." He hoped it would calm Jack down a bit. The poor man looked like he was ready to burst with anxiety. 

"Thanks, Grandpa." Jack grinned, "I'm still gooing to get her from the nursery." He practically ran off to see his daughter. The Reagan's laughing softly at how excited and nervous Jack was. Linda couldn't wait to meet her granddaughter. 

"I'm going to go get us some lunch. Sean why don't you come along and you can check on the kids too." Frank suggested. Sean nodded his head, following his Grandpa out of the room.

"I'm going to head back to work. After being on probation and out of the office for so long, I can't ask for many favors. I've got a case later today I really can't push out. I'll try to stop by today or tomorrow." Erin smiled leaving the room already on her phone with her assistant.

Danny pulled his wife close, "Speaking of names, I have to say." He kissed his wife's cheek, "I much prefer Linda Maddalena Reagan." Danny whispered in her ear.

Linda blushed, "I don't know. Mrs. Danny Reagan always had a nice ring to it too." She said softly. As much as she loved being strong and independent. She still got butterflies when she was introduced as _his_ wife.

"That works too." Danny grinned as he kissed her again. Linda wrapped her arms around his neck, "Love you." Danny whispered keeping their conversation private even though they both knew Jamie and Margaret were in the room.

"I love you more." Linda smiled.

"Love you the most." Danny said in her ear.

Jamie shook his head watching his older brother and sister-in-law across the room. 

"I think it's cute that they are this in love still." Margaret cuddled next to Jamie.

"They are always like this." Jamie picked up a napkin and tossed it at Danny's head, "Danny, get a room." He teased.

"Jealous?" Danny turned to his kid brother while Linda buried her head in his shoulder and blushed.

"You've been married forever. How do you still make out with your wife?" Jamie teased.

"That's one of the secrets to being married forever. You gotta still make out with the wife. You have to make her realize she's still the only one you want to make out with." Danny laughed.

"He's got a really good point, Jamie. Although, I never thought of it like that." Linda giggled.

"Really? That never occurred to you?" Danny asked.

Linda shook her head, "No. Because I've never really worried about you  _not_ wanting to make out with me. You come home to me every day. You sleep in our bed every night. I don't worry about you not wanting to be there. You kiss me no matter where we are. You're never _not_ affectionate with me. Even when something is bothering you and you want the affection. If I'm not initiating it, you'll hold my hand, or hug me, or something." Linda explained, "I've never thought of you wanting me outside of the fact that you want me because you love me."

"I could be standing in a room with every woman in the world and you're still the only one I'd want. I still only want you just as much as I did when we started dating. If anything, time has just made that want stronger." Danny said honestly.

"You know that goes both ways right?" Linda said, "I'd pick you over and over again."

"I know." Danny kissed his wife sweetly.

"Kathleen's up!" Jack interrupted them, "Come on!" He bounced up and down in the doorway, "Come meet Madelaine."

"C'mon." Linda held Danny's hand as they went to see their granddaughter.

Linda held the baby girl in her arms cooing softly as Danny held his wife around the waist. They congratulated Jack and Kathleen on their baby girl. The Reagan family stayed as late as they could with Danny and Linda being the last to leave. Linda hugged and kissed everyone before leaving making sure her granddaughter got plenty of love from Grandma before she stepped out into the hall behind Danny. Linda walked hand in hand with Danny into the parking garage.

"Our boys are so big. Jack is married and has a baby. Sean has a kid who is almost two.  The twins will be in school with Grace next fall. Everyone is getting so big. And when Charlie is three he's going to start preschool. And then Madelaine after him. Then I'll just be an old Grandma home by herself all day." Linda frowned at that thought.

"That's if they stop having kids. And you could always go back to work. Anytime you want. I know it's not something I've always supported well but all I really want is you happy." Danny stopped walking next to their car.

"I'm happy. I like being home. I like knowing I'm there whenever you need me and I'm there when you come home at eight in the morning. I like being able to make sure the kids are fed, washed and asleep on time. I like being home. I loved working. Even when it was because we needed the second paycheck. But I also love being home. I love being there when you walk through the door." Linda said honestly. She leaned against the car, "I just don't like an empty house."

"I'll get you a puppy when there are no more kids." Danny joked.

"I'm serious!" Linda slapped his chest playfully.

"Me too! Jack's been begging for a puppy since he found out he was having a brother and we said no dog."  Danny laughed.

"We're still saying no to a puppy." Linda smiled, "I'm just saying. An empty house sounds lonely."

"I think we have a long time before that happens. Besides, I love the thought of not just coming home. But coming home to  _you_." Danny closed the gap between the two of them, "Coming home is always wonderful." Danny kissed his wife, "But coming home to you. Knowing you are there. You are safe. Knowing that even when you're sound asleep and I slip into bed, your first reaction is to reach for me. Knowing that I can hold you in my arms. That the stress of the day is lessened just be seeing you. I like coming home. But God, I love coming home to you. Every time I leave, that is my only thought. No matter what it takes. I want to be able to come home to you." Danny said.

Linda sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if that thought crosses your mind while you're on the job." Linda said softly.

"Every time I walk into a situation, I do my best to make sure I have a way out. I don't ever want you to get that call." Danny promised.

Linda hugged Danny tight, "I love you so much. We've been through everything together."

"And we'll keep going through everything together. For the rest of our lives." Danny cupped her chin, "I promise. Every day I leave. I'll do the best that I can to come home to you, safe and sound." Danny sealed his promise with a slow kiss. Linda sighed happily. She knew that it wasn't always Danny's choice and that his job put him at risk. But knowing how much he loved her, how much he wanted to be home, gave her some peace of mind. She knew he'd do anything in his power to make it home to her. Linda pulled Danny impossibly closer to her holding every moment with him close to her heart. She knew there would come a day when he wouldn't come home. But until then, Linda Reagan would watch him leave with his vest and gun, pray for his safety and thank God every time she heard the door shut to see him standing there. He might be bruised and broken, but he was home. And in Linda's eyes, that's what mattered. He came home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So another story comes to a close. I hope you all enjoyed it! I loved writing it! Thank you SOOOOOO much for the comments and kudos! I love talking with everyone! I can't wait to continue on in this verse and start the next story!!! You are all amazing and thank you for reading!!


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